For The Best
by aurora0914
Summary: Two children. Two brothers. One woman. Because, in the end, there is always something bitter in a love triangle.
1. I-X

**AN: This story is dedicated to Darth Taisha. Am, Merry Christmas! ;)**

_I._

The keys shook in her trembling hands. With a shaky gasp, she brought them to a turn, locking the door, and memories, forever. She turned away, silent tears dripping down her face, and instead, grasped her luggage: a creamy lavender bag that held all of her memories, and entirely her essence. All her memories; they had managed to all fit in this warn, lavender bag.

But this would help Sasuke, and it was no use getting cold feet now. With that resolve in mind, her feet started clacking on pavement, as she made her way to the train station. A one way train ticket to Suna would be in order.

When getting the ticket, her firm, iron clad resolve almost broke. But it didn't, and now her lifeless form had boarded a train that was headed for hell: the desert.

_II._

Once there, she had come in contact with an estate agent; and, with her distinct lack of money, she was being shown a dingy apartment that was- she now decided- going to be her home. She hurriedly made a deal, ushering the agent out, before she ran for the toilet. Slimy liquid went down the toilet, a nauseating smell arising, only causing her to exude more vomit.

Her shaky, pale fingers gripped the seat, her skin growing a chalky white pallor. It had not been the first time; even back at her old apartment, with Sasuke, these fits had been a daily occurrence. Although, she had not told Sasuke, she was sure that he must have noticed.

When she was done, she flushed the toilet, and leaned back on the floor. It was time to check out this disease; it would only become a major setback when she found a job to work. But that could wait: it was time to find a job.

_III._

Newspapers lined the filthy, old table, as she searched for an appropriate, low skilled, job. Resumes also came in a large number; some crossed off, and most waiting a reply. Her phone lay expectantly beside her, and she was ready to answer if a call came.

There where many jobs; jobs that ranged from a maid to a waitress. She wouldn't mind either, as long as it provided food on the table. Her only mission was survival.

Suddenly, the phone rang, and her quick hands darted towards it, in what one might call hope. Dare she hope? Her life had already been filled with so many miseries... it wouldn't be anything new if she was disappointed, yet again. She fumbled, answering it with a cautious greeting.

"H-hello?" His or her name escaped her. It really was a pity that she was unable to save the telephone number unto her cellphone.

"Ms. Hyuuga?" A cool, dry tone answered her awkward mumbles. It chilled her spine, and it was so, very familiar to that voice that she had left... but she'd rather not think about that now. There was no point to, not now.

She nodded, before realising that the person couldn't even see her. An ashamed blush coated her face before she replied with a shaky, "Y-yes?."

"You have been accepted as the personal maid. You are to go to the Akatsuki Co. residence at three o'clock tomorrow." She answered a confirmation, before the man hung up on her. How rude.

She remembered applying to be a maid for a man, before. If she could remember correctly, he was a high standing business man, so the pay should be fit for her. All was well. Although she found it strange that he had no last name... No matter. She was free to go to the doctors', and check that strange epidemic that she seemed to have caught...

_IV._

The doctor was female, with long blonde hair in twin pigtails, and beautiful caramel eyes. She smiled in reassurance, checking her over by various tests. She would be the same age as her mother, had she lived. Maybe that's why she had seemed so motherly?

Hinata checked her name tag. In bright, bold letters, it stated, Senju Tsunade. Hinata was somehow familiar with that name, but she wasn't sure how, not exactly. She watched as the doctors hands' tightened around her mahogany clipboard, as she turned to smile a motherly smile at her. "Well, you have nothing to worry about, Ms. Hyuuga. Your symptoms are entirely normal for a person with your situation."

What did she mean? Hinata did not have the brightest idea. "What do you mean, Dr. Senju?" She automatically assumed her as single, not because she wasn't pretty enough to be married- she was more than pretty, really- but because of the obvious lack of rings on her fingers.

"Oh, did you not know? Well, dear, you're pregnant." She announced cheerily, gaily, as if it was the happiest thing in the world. Which it was. But not for her. Her hands covered her trembling mouth, her eyes wide, and still in shock. Tsunade seemed to notice. "Is something the matter?"

Hinata shook her head, still in shock, but arose form her seat. "T-thank you, Dr. Senju." She left the hospital in a hurry, ignoring Dr. Senju's apparent frown.

She was pregnant... with Sasuke's child. And now, she would never be able to tell Sasuke. It would be selfish, and hinder him from his career, from his dreams. But, there was no way she was going to rid herself of _her_ child. It was hers, after all. A smile curled on her lips, despite the situation.

_V._

Her family were a well off bunch. Arrogant and prideful, but they were still her family, even when they disowned her for falling in love. Never could they understand that love consumes. Hinata used to be a romantic, an idealist, but she wasn't too sure, not any more.

Her father, Hiashi Hyuuga, was the CEO of the Hyuuga Co., one of the richest companies in the world. Strict and prideful, he had always looked at her with sour disappointed, probably because she had never carried any of the Hyuuga traits. She had always disliked manipulating, and then using it to her advantage, and that was exactly what the Heiress, and the CEO, was supposed to do. Hinata was too kind at heart for any of that.

Her mother, on the other hand, was dead. Died after she had given birth to her little sister, Hanabi. Hinata's youngest memories of her mother was of her kind, and warm smile, the kind that was now extinct in the Hyuuga household. Hinata was sure that she had died with a smile on her face, giving birth to her youngest child.

Hinata, in all actuality, got most of her looks from her mother. Instead of owning the traditional chocolate, pin straight hair that her sister, and father adorned, she had inherited her mother's wavy indigo hair. Although her eyes were traditional Hyuuga eyes, with maybe just a tint of lavender in them. Yes, she looked like an uglier version of her mother. Maybe, though, her self-esteem was a tad bit too low...

Her sister, Hanabi, was a traditional Hyuuga, through and through. From the pin straight chocolate brown hair, to the hard, frosty white eyes. Their father's golden child. Not that Hinata felt bad about it: Hanabi was her younger sister, and she deserved the best. Sasuke had never understood, but it was probably because it was a feeling that only the older children understood, right?

While Hanabi being the golden child was genuine, it wasn't the complete... truth. Neji, she had to say, was the platinum child. Neji wasn't even her father's child, but was her uncle's child, her cousin. But Neji was a genius, and a male, so that automatically made him a favourite with her father, who, despite what he says, was slightly sexist.

Neji hated her. Or, he _used _to hate her, as it was more accurately said. Hinata didn't know all of the details, but she did remember Neji's malicious aura, threatening to eat her alive, if she lingered anywhere near him for another moment. Hinata had a feeling that he was going to inherit the company, main blood or not.

_VI._

A large building loomed ahead of her, and for the thousandth time, Hinata wondered if she was at the right place. Sure, the person on the phone had stated the Akatsuki Co... but was this really the Akatsuki Co. building? It was large, and modern, and completely unlike the dump that she had been expecting.

She nervously bit her fingers as she went through the large, automatic doors, and immediately headed towards the reception, where they could possibly tell her that it was all one big mistake, and that they had meant to call someone else, not her. She approached a young, intimidating woman with blue hair and piercings.

"E-excuse me?" The woman, who was previously gazing at her computer, turned to stare at her. She raised a perfectly formed blue eyebrow, motioning her to continue. "H-hinate H-hyuuga. Appointment w-with Mr. Itachi?" She asked, waiting for the finishing blow.

The receptionist took one look at her screen, and then said, "Yes. Mr. Itachi is expecting you. Fifth floor, Room 512." She then motioned to the elevator. Hinata got the hint and left.

The moment she entered the elevator, she let out a breath that she didn't know she had held. Shakily, she let a course of disbelief race through her. So it wasn't a mistake? Someone, a boss in this building, really wanted _her _to be his maid? Hinata decided not to think too much about this miracle, in case it didn't last, and this all turned out to be one big joke.

The elevator opened with a 'ding'. It was strange, because she was only on the third floor, and she was certain that she had pressed the fifth floor. Her curiosity was answered as a man entered, a man that almost gave her a heart attack. Why? Well, she had almost mistaken him for Sasuke... _almost. _He had black hair and the same onyx black eyes. She instantly discarded the thought... she must have been hallucinating, because, as far as she knew, Sasuke had no family.

She avoided his eyes, and well, avoided looking at him. His aura reminded her of happy times, bringing her to the brink of tears. After all, she was a hormonal, pregnant woman.

'Ding,' the elevator opened (on the fifth floor). She rushed through the door, avoiding all communication with the man (Sasuke look-alike), as much as possible. To her relief, she found Room 512 almost instantaneously. Timidly, she softly knocked on the door. Thrice.

Fate laughed at her. The elevator companion came up to her, and politely asked her to move so he could unlock the door. She stepped aside, her face white, ready for the worst. "Follow me." His cool tone was the one from yesterday.

She followed him into a professional office, with no personal items. He motioned for her to sit on the leather chair, while he sat behind his desk. "You will be my personal maid starting tomorrow. Work hours are from eight until seven. Duties also include preparing breakfast and dinner. The pay..." His voice droned on as he explained the mundane details of the job.

With him as her boss. How ironic.

_VII._

Itachi (Who had no last name... strangely enough. Paradoxically, when she asked, he said that he went by the name of 'Mr. Scarlett') was a slave driver. She didn't care, since she really didn't mind working. She cooked, and cleaned, and then some.

It had already been a month. No longer was she scared to look Itachi in the eye, for numerous reasons, but principally he wasn't like Sasuke, not at all. While Sasuke was somewhat egocentric, Itachi was not. While Sasuke was flashy, Itachi was classy. While Sasuke enjoyed the minuscule brush strokes it took to create art_, _Itachi would blankly stare at the paints and promptly put them away in an orderly fashion (Itachi was OCD like that).

They got along. Itachi was a cold, but simple man, a genius, and she had more than enough practice with those. He also had many fangirls- and, she had learned, that it was to his great relief that she wasn't one. He had to be asexual... she hadn't seen him with a girl ever since she started this job, and she _would _know if he'd been with one. Maybe he had some kind of trauma?

He was an unbelievably orderly man. His apartment consisted of a kitchen, a bedroom, a living room, two bathrooms, and a guest room. It was relatively small for a billionaire (as she had learned). But then again, he was classy, and not extravagant, so it must have been enough for him.

_VIII._

She stood frozen, staring at the screen, which was showing the morning news. It was an interview of Sasuke. The lady, Ino, was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Obviously, she was flirting with him as she was asking him questions about his job.

"So... Sasuke, what are your thoughts on your gaining popularity?" Ino giggled, smiling at the audience, and at herself. Sasuke grunted, before deciding to answer.

"It doesn't matter to me. All I care about is the music." A standard Sasuke answered. The grin on Hinata's face was forced. But, she wouldn't let her hormones get the better of her, not in front of Sasuke. Even if Sasuke had no idea that she was watching.

"Well! Aren't you a serious guy!" Here, the audience laughed, in tune with the hostess ,"And what about that single that topped the charts?" Here, Sasuke shrugged.

The hostess, Ino, gave a sexy pout, and twirled her hair. "And any new ladies?" Before Sasuke had the chance to answer, Hinata turned off the television, its world turning black. She was happy for Sasuke... really, she was, but she wasn't ready to hear about his relationships, about any conquests.

Tears dripped onto the table as she continued eating the cereal, that by now, seemed so, so cold.

_IX._

Tiredly, she poked her belly. She was starting to show. It was time to tell Itachi. She glanced at the clock, which showed 6 59, which meant that Itachi would be home in around ten minutes, to eat dinner with her, before she had to go home. If she could call that dingy, cold apartment a home, that was.

She almost jumped as the door opened (at exactly 7 00... Itachi was a bit too punctual, say). She heard a faint, "I'm home."

"W-w-welcome b-b-back." Her stuttering had increased, more so than usual, which showed that she was nervous about something. Extremely nervous, because, after two months, she was more than comfortable around Itachi. Speaking of Itachi, he walked in with a slight frown on his face, and sat down on the chair, his eyes intense as they stared into hers. And he waited.

Hinata, a scaredy cat, mumbled "D-dinner is s-s-served." As she dealt out food onto the plates. They ate in silence. It was time to tell him, as she knew that he had everlasting (and sometimes, quite irritating) patience. Putting a nervous hand on her stomach, she began. "I-I'm p-pregnant." She mumbled under her breath, hoping against hope, that he wouldn't hear.

She should have remembered that this was Itachi, and that he was able to catch out absolutely everything. In a calm manner, he said, "I see. How many months?" He took a break from eating, to observe her, it seemed.

"T-Three." She said, holding up three fingers, just in case. He nodded, satisfied with the answer.

"And were you married, or do you have a boyfriend?" What once would have been a personal question, now wasn't.

"N-no."

"And you're pregnant." He prompted.

"Y-yes." This seemed more like an interrogation, and not a conversation. Hinata seemed to keep her answers succinct, much to Itachi's frustration.

"I see. Do you know who the father is?" More questions. If Hinata was anyone else, she would have probably said for him to mind his own business, but she wasn't, so she answered.

"Y-yes."

"Does he know?"

"N-no."

"Are you planning on telling him?"

"N-no." Here, Itachi frowned.

"Your child needs a father. Unless you have any further objections, I suppose that I will take that role."

_X._

Itachi, in a round-about way, had confessed his feelings for her, and made her move in with him. She was now, instead of a maid, upgraded to what she supposed was a house-girlfriend, as they were now in a 'steady' relationship. Although it was unlike every other relationship that Hinata had encountered, it was good.

Itachi now went to the doctor's appointments with her, Senju Tsunade greeting them with a warm, motherly smile. It didn't matter that it wasn't his child, Itachi treated it like his own.

Around two months later, he proposed to her, and now they were engaged. Hinata had learned to deal with angry fangirls, and had met all of his not-very-normal friends.

And even though she didn't know very much about Itachi, the same being with Itachi, they were happy. Sasuke was no longer always in her thoughts, replaced with Itachi. It was for the best. Sakura had said so (she was his manager)... with Sasuke, she could never have the relationship she would want, and she would hinder Sasuke's job. No, now that she was gone, Sasuke was a famous musician (rock star). Just as he wanted. She no longer felt any pain when she saw Sasuke on TV, because, there Itachi was, smiling that weird, subtle smile at her.

No. She was happy. She was good. She placed her hand on her stomach, a smile on her face. Itachi's hand joined hers, as the baby kicked. Very good. Everything had turned out... for the best.

**Ive decided this to be a three shot. **

**Review, Review, Review,**

**Aurora0914-chan!**


	2. XI-XX

**AN: This story is dedicated to Darth Taisha. Back here again! Might as well finish now...**

_XI._

The first time that Sasuke saw her, was the first day of high school, when they were all introduced. She was staring at the idiot: Naruto, his best friend. She was in the shadows, unnoticeable, invisible. So unlike all of the other loud, bright girls in the room. Maybe it was her darkness that drew him to her.

She had long, indigo coloured hair. What captivated him the most, if he had to say, were her eyes. Her eyes that reflected your own right back at you... the eyes that were so rare, found only in the Hyuuga family.

It was obvious that she was in love with Naruto. So glaringly obvious, in fact, that he immediately looked away, with a deflated ego and a bruised pride. What may have been the only girl that he had taken interest in had the hots for his best friend. The irony of his life.

As usual, all of the other girls in the room started making googly-eyes at him. What was so good about him? What was so good about his sickly skin, his too-dark hair and eyes? What was so good about his anti-social behaviour, his cold personality?

He knew. It was the 'Uchiha' name, that was attached right next to his. He was the 'last' Uchiha.

He stopped dwelling on the Hyuuga girl, his mood much too ruined by all of the fake and superficial girls in the world, and instead, stared at something much more interesting, like the window.

_XII._

It was lunch break. Next to his ear, his best friend, Naruto, was blabbing on about inconsequential things, like his 'first and only true love, Sakura!'. Sadly, Sasuke didn't think that he could convince Naruto that he really, _really _didn't want to listen to this, as Naruto was the most stubborn person he knew.

"I think I'm going to marry her, Sasuke! That is, when she gets over you, you asshole!" It really was very easy to tune Naruto out, especially as he did it on a daily bases. But he was in need of fresh air, and Naruto couldn't exactly provide that.

He got up to leave, before an angry Naruto shouted to him, "Hey, asshole, where are you going? You can't just get up and walk out like that!" Sasuke took a deep breath, and in an effort to calm himself down, he counted to ten.

"You really want to know, don't you, idiot? Well, if you must know everything I do, I'm going to take a shit." Sasuke glanced back to see the blush on Naruto's face, before he exited the classroom. As he stepped out, he noticed a trembling Hyuuga, silent tears dropping down her face. She must have heard the conversation...

This was totally out of his comfort zone. In an effort to stop her incessant sobs, he hurriedly pushed her his handkerchief, the only one he carried. "You look ugly crying." He commented, and then he said, "The idiot doesn't deserve it." He walked away before his mouth could betray him again, feeling the tips of his ears burn.

It was a good thing he carried that handkerchief... although he couldn't believe that he had given it away quite so easily, with it being one of his mother's momentous. It had an Uchiha fan embroidered on its front.

_XIII._

His late parents owned a company. Not a company, really, but the police station. It was theirs: the Uchiha Police. One night, some crazy-ass criminals wiped out the huge main building, with his parents in it. He had been eight, and Itachi, his older brother, had been thirteen.

His perfect older brother. Itachi Uchiha: the genius of the century. The heir to the Uchiha Police, destined for greatness. While Sasuke remembered his jealousy, he also remembered the caring side of his older brother, the one that Itachi only showed him. The only distinguishing feature that Sasuke could remember were his tear troughs, that ran under his eyes. Back then, he had always been envious of them, because they made him seem more adult, and more in charge.

His mother. He looked like his mother. They shared the same onyx black hair (Itachi's was lightly more dull, while his father's was brown), and the same pale skin. His kind, forgiving mother... blown away to bits by a bomb. Never again would he be able to taste her onigiri with tomato fillings.

His father. To his father, he had always come second, and Itachi had always been the priority. But still, he would have liked to have proven his worth to his father, to make him proud. Now, he would never have the chance. No, because that criminal, the nameless one that Sasuke had spent many hours researching upon, remained just that- nameless.

_XIV._

The beat of the music drifted through his fingers as they viciously attacked the guitar. It created a sad, almost melancholy tone- totally describing the mood he was in right now.

The guitar was his last living memory of the brother that he had idolised so much. He had given the guitar to him for his sixth birthday, as Itachi had seen the way that he had eyed it in the shop. It was nothing special- just an onyx black wooden guitar with red rings- but to him, it meant the world. This guitar left him with his only pride and joy, which was, of course, making music.

A creak was heard throughout the music classroom (it was after school), and a door opened, showing a startled and embarrassed Hinata Hyuuga. His fingers immediately stopped what they were doing; they lingered, but dared not continue, not in the presence of someone else. "Well? Are you going to come in, or just stand there like the idiot you are?" He finally snapped, as she shuffled in, hurriedly closing the door behind her.

"U-un. I, u-um, wanted t-to give y-you, e-er, t-this." She held out a peace of cloth in front of her, as if it was a token of peace, an offer for a peace treaty, while Sasuke eyed the cloth with disinterest. Had she, the only non-fangirl world he had met, suddenly turned fangirlish? If she had, all his hope for the female race was lost...

Eyeing the cloth with mistrust, he then snatched it up, the cloth seeming familiar in his fingers. Only then did he recognize the peace of cloth that he had given her, last week, for her to dry her tears. It was washed, and folded neatly into a triangle. A strange blooming of warmth erupted in his stomach, one that made him feel weird, but good, at the same time. "T-thank y-you for a-all that y-you have d-done, last w-week. I, um, I-I'm s-sorry for being s-such a b-burden, and, w-well, i-if you'll excuse m-me." Just as she was about to exit the door, Sasuke's voice rang behind her, stopping her in her tracks.

"It's about damn time that I have an audience. I'm not leaving you, Hyuuga, with a favour unpaid. You walked in one me, and now you're stuck listening."

_XV._

Most days, they stayed after school, with Sasuke practising, and the Hyuuga listening. He admit, it did feel... nice... to have someone listen to him when he played. Sometimes, he even forgot himself, and started singing of himself, of his pain, and so forth. It was unexplainable, the feeling of letting your bottled emotions explode. Wonderfully unexplainable.

Hinata had advised him to go into a singing career, and much to his disbelief, he was actually considering it. If he could feel like this all the time- light, weightless, _free_- then, this was the job that he would do for life. And just like that, a year passed.

A year passed, and it was his second year in high school. A year passed, and his notebook was already filled with songs... and not all of them angry and miserable. A year passed, and he caught himself thinking of Hinata more often then not.

It was degrading to say, but he really did need advice. And to his utter humiliating, the only person he could probably ask was his idiot of a best friend, Naruto. So, once lunchtime, when Naruto was happily discussing Sakura's new stunt, he decided to cut in. "Naruto." Naruto instantly straighted up, because he knew, and Sasuke knew, that once Sasuke used the name 'Naruto', and not idiot, or any of the other ridiculous nicknames, that he meant business.

Instead of Naruto eagerly asking him what was on his mind, he waited for Sasuke to be ready. "Say... if you were hypothetically thinking of a... _girl _too much, hypothetically... what would that mean?" Naruto raised an incredulous eyebrow, as if he couldn't believe that the day had come. And, well, frankly speaking, neither could Sasuke.

"Asshole... hypothetically, that would mean that you're in love. Sasuke, that poor, poor girl. I send my prayers out for her." Sasuke wished that Naruto had remained as oblivious as he was when he was younger. Sadly, that was not the case.

Sasuke was too distraught about the concept of him 'falling in love', to punch Naruto for the last statement (any girl would pay _millions _for him to be in love with her... well, maybe except Hinata).

_XVI._

"I-I like y-you." Sasuke would have paid if Hinata had said that to him, but sadly, it was not so. Instead, she was in that empty classroom, confessing to his best friend, Naruto.

Another year had passed, and Sasuke had come onto terms with the fact that he was in love with Hinata. He had to, if he wanted Hinata for himself before she escaped from his grasp. Unlike all of the other girls, Hinata would not wait for him. She didn't even like him in the first place. Which brought him back to the point: she was in there, confessing to his best friend (she had asked to talk to him in private... however, Sasuke was no gentleman, so maybe that's why he why he was outside the door, eavesdropping). "I'm sorry, Hinata, but I love Sakura. I can't return your feelings."

If Sasuke knew Naruto as well as he did, he was pretty damn sure that right now, Naruto was reaching out to comfort an agitated Hinata. He heard sobs, that stung his heart, and he moved away from the door as it opened, revealing a teary-eyed Hinata. She moved to run, but Sasuke caught her wrist.

He dragged her to the opposite classroom, one that was empty. A little more familiar with Hinata, he awkwardly hugged her. She hugged back, her sobs subsiding. Once she stopped crying, she moved to step away, but Sasuke growled a firm, "Stay."

She reluctantly stayed in place, entrapped by his arms. "I know this is probably the worst time, and the worst place, but I figured, what the hell. Hinata will you be my girlfriend?" If Hinata could confess... he could as well. It didn't matter if Hinata rejected him (it would sting his pride), because at least he would be able to get his feeling across.

"I-I l-love N-Naruto." She mumbled. "T-that would be u-unfaithful to y-you." Hinata and her traditional logic.

"I know. But I don't care. Give me a chance, Hinata." He knew it was cruel, but he couldn't help it. Making her evaluate her own, fresh feelings, with his, would definitely make her give him 'a chance'. He wasn't a gentleman, not by any standards.

"O-ok."

_XVII._

By the end of high school, their relationship was steady, to say the least. So steady, in fact, that by graduation, he asked her to move in with him. He had already started in his career path to be a singer, but he wanted Hinata to support him, the whole way.

She had happily accepted. Ever since their relationship, her feelings for Naruto had quickly ended, ensuring that he was the only man that held all of her attention. That had always made him feel good, inside.

Of course, because of their relationship, her family caused an uproar, which led to her eminent disowning. Sasuke had been concerned, but Hinata had assured him that she was fine with it. She said that it was going to come 'sooner or later'. Sasuke hadn't pried. Hinata also didn't pry, even when he shared his past with her. She had just accepted it, and Sasuke would never tell her how much that meant to him.

Sakura was his manager. He had no idea why she had pursued such a job. But she had, and now he was stuck with a fangirl, and the girl his best friend had been in love with for years. If he could choose, she would be his last choice of manager, but he wasn't important enough to make those decisions, not yet. Maybe when he gained fame, he would be able to fire her like he so wished to, and have no regrets. But right now, it just wasn't possible. Never mind, fame wasn't important, not when he had Hinata by his side.

_XVIII._

He had found his brother. Rather, his brother found him. By luck or by chance, his idol, Uchiha Itachi, had found him. Except, he told him that he was no longer 'Uchiha Itachi', but that he was just Itachi. It was strange, having no last name.

Itachi had phoned him, and told him that he would like it if the kept in contact, like real brothers. Since they were real brothers. Sasuke was glad. At least he knew he wasn't the last Uchiha, not any more. Although he technically was, since Itachi, for whatever reason, refused to bear that name.

He had come home, willing to share the news with Hinata, but he had found her as distant as ever.

He was getting worried. She had been distant the whole week. It was like she couldn't even hear him. Although, what was strange, was the fact that she was more passionate than ever, and much more willing with physical contact. If this went on for one more week, he was going to pry, even if she didn't like it.

At the start of the relationship,they had decided that neither of them would pry into each other's minds, and that they would tell each other when they were ready. But, he didn't think he could keep his word. He really was starting to get worried.

_XIX._

Sakura had worked him to the bone, today. He was exhausted, and the only thing he was looking forward to, was seeing Hinata when he came home. Even though a deep, foreboding gut feeling had been bothering him all day.

Upon entering the apartment, he immediately noticed that something was wrong. It was empty. The silence seemed to loud; the shadows seemed too long. He could hear his own heart-beat, accelerating as he panicked. He ran from room to room, ransacking the entire apartment, but he couldn't find Hinata anywhere.

He tried calming down, and tried to look at this with a rational, logical mind. It was then, that he noticed that along with her presence, all of her _things _were gone. He hurled the wardrobe doors open. None of her items were there, no feminine clothes accompanied his male ones. He stalked to the bathroom, not caring about the amount of racket that he made.

Her toothbrush, and all of her essentials were gone. That was it. She was gone. She had left him.

Sasuke crumbled in a pit of despair, a dark hole of depression engulfing him. Why did everyone important in his life _leave!? _His mother, his brother, and now Hinata. Was he not worth staying for? A sense of abandon passed through him.

That was when he spotted something glinting on the bed. He went over to get it, it being, to his surprise, a letter, addressed to him. On the front was written Sasuke, it what Sasuke could recognize as Hinata's elegant handwriting. He tore it open, his eyes trying to devour the words on the paper.

_Dear Sasuke,_

_I left... for the best. For you. But know that I loved you, more than I could have ever loved Naruto. Thank you for being my first love, and my first boyfriend._

_Love, Hinata._

He didn't know what he felt. But sadness, pain, and confusion were all definitely a part of his well mixed emotions.

And so, he dealt with these emotions the only way that he really knew how (without resorting to vile substances like alcohol and drugs): he found his notebook, and furiously began writing. The words flowed to him like water flowed to a river, and he had no problem finishing the lyrics.

When his hand started shaking, he put the pen down, and out came the ferocious downpour of silent tears. They fell down onto the paper, blotting out some of the words. He cupped his shaking hands to his eyes, and let himself go, crying, for what felt like the first time in years.

He had lost her. She had slipped through his fingers, and he had let her.

_XX._

He had become famous. The moment that Hinata had left his life, he had given himself over entirely to work (having nothing else to do), and fame had found its way to him.

Sakura, his manager, seemed extraordinarily happy. Sasuke couldn't bother himself with caring. He couldn't care about anything, not any more. Nothing gave him happiness: the one ray of light in his life had left him willingly, left him alone in the drowning darkness. The only thing that gave him relief was his songs; they were a way to channel his anger and frustration at the world. His songs... his only salvation.

His only contacts, outside of work, had become Naruto, and his brother, Itachi. He had grown to be much closer with his brother, which was a good thing. Naruto came over regularly, and worried for him, even though he said that he was happy that Sasuke was becoming all rich and famous.

"So, any knew women? Surely a handsome bachelor such as yourself is bound to have some women..." Yet another interviewer asked. The questions. They were all the same. Wherever he went, they all asked the same, exact same questions.

"Hn." Was his nonchalant grunt, as he didn't want to involve himself in such a question. She asked many more questions... but he had lost interest a long time ago. No, he hadn't had any girlfriends. He would be betraying Hinata, by doing so.

He would find her. He would. Even though she left him... he demanded an explanation.

But before that, Itachi had invited him to his wedding. Although Sasuke had no interest, he had to attend. For his brother. And then... then, he could search for Hinata.

**Omg. That was so depressing. :/. Poor Sasuke.**

**Review, review, review,**

**Aurora-chan!**


	3. XXI-XXX

**AN: This story is dedicated to Darth Taisha. Itachi POV today! *just because Im evil**

_XXI._

"That is enough for today." The meeting including himself, Kisame, and the other Akatsuki promptly finished. Itachi sluggishly got up, intending to head towards his office. He really didn't enjoy his job, contrary to what others thought. He really didn't enjoy crushing other businesses, or seeing their terrified expressions. That was a lie. He did. A little.

He had been crushing businesses ever since he was adopted by his uncle, Madara Uchiha. Madara Uchiha was a horrid man: evil and sadistic. He had taught Itachi all he knew about the economy, and the stock markets, and in return, Itachi refused to bear the Uchiha name. He refused to be like Madara Uchiha.

Not all (most) of his family members were power hungry like his uncle. Take his brother, for example; as a child, he was as innocent as innocent could be. It was Itachi that raised him, pretty much.

But in that terrible bombing (which he suspected was done by Madara... the bastard), he had lost his parents, and in effect, had lost Sasuke. The orphanage had separated them, and Itachi could only be thankful that it was him that got the burnt of Madara, and not Sasuke. Sasuke didn't deserve to be raised by that foul man.

Talking about Sasuke, he had just managed to find him again. Now that he was in Akatsuki, he had enough money to have a search party for Sasuke. The results had come out; technically, he was in Konoha, and was in high school.

It was going to be fun to try and mend their pretty much ruined relationship. But he would try. Anything for his little brother, his last living link to his family and his past (and his happiness).

_XXII._

It had been a couple of months, and he had managed to talk to, and learn about more about his little brother, Sasuke. Many things had changed, and Sasuke was no longer the little innocent child that he knew (somehow, he knew he wouldn't be... but one could hope), and instead, had turned into a reserved man with a cutting tongue. And the main thing was, that he had found a new woman in his life.

Sasuke told him many things about this woman. In particular, her name. Hinata. It was a nice name, Itachi had to give her that; but, a name didn't matter very much. Sasuke had told him many things, and he had to say that her 'nice' name matched her personality. It had to, for her to be able to deal with an Uchiha, anyway.

The point was, she made his little brother happy, and his happiness was probably the most important thing, in Itachi's world. He had a lot of money, but sadly, money couldn't buy happiness (although his 'uncle' Madara could argue).

So, it had given him a shock to find out that she (Hinata) had left Sasuke. It was strange... there was an unknown variant in this situation. But it didn't matter... he just had to find Hinata and bring her back to Sasuke. Make him happy. It was as simple as that.

It was a good thing that Sasuke had vividly described her... Itachi had an idea of what she looked like.

_XXIII._

Fate was on his side. It had led Hinata right on his doorstep. If Itachi was anyone else, he'd probably have spit out his coffee once he saw the application: Hyuuga Hinata, just as he had imagined her. He decided not to question the gift given to him by destiny, and immediately accepted her as his maid, meanwhile praying that she was not a fangirl. Sure, Sasuke said she wasn't, but it was better to be safe rather than sorry. He was by no means naive- just because someone said so, didn't mean that it was true.

His plan was simple. Itachi knew that Sasuke wouldn't appreciate for Itachi to just _tell _him where Hinata was- that would be meddling. And besides, that would be too nice. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'. That was one of his favourite quotes.

Instead, he would make Sasuke come and visit him, 'accidentally' discovering Hinata.

There was a flaw to this rather ingenious plan: how was he supposed to get Sasuke to visit? Sasuke was busy: he was growing more and more famous. He was too busy to just come on a casual visit to see the big brother that he hadn't seen in years. No, he needed to come for a special occasion, one that happened once in a life time.

There were few of those. Funerals, births... marriages. The only way that he could get Sasuke to visit is when he was to get married. There was a rather slim chance of that happening, however, since Itachi had a rather strong aversion towards all women. Who knows... maybe it was the way they slobbered when they so much as glanced at him? The way the drool dribbled down their chins... very sexy (sarcasm).

_XXIV._

He needn't have worried. Hinata had a hard time looking at him; much less staring at him. In fact, she tried her very best to avoid _seeing_ him at all. It was actually quite insulting. Oh well; at least he could trust his brother's descriptions as accurate. And that she would stay loyal to his brother, and not be seduced by looks. Actually, he deduced, she'd probably be embarrassed instead of flattered.

Even if he didn't have a hidden agenda, he would have hired her.

When she worked, she was to the point, and thorough... her cooking was delicious. It was strange that he actually liked it; contrary to popular belief of him being easily pleased, he was a really picky eater. There was no point in eating something that didn't taste good. Especially if you had enough money to buy something that tastes good.

Even if she didn't attack him at first, he still didn't trust her to not attack him. Call him paranoid, but... he just couldn't believe that a woman would not take advantage of his weak points. So he waited, and waited, and waited...

_XXV._

It was a moment of weakness that shouldn't have happened. But let's face it: he was tired, and he had a very hard case at work. They were taking on two new projects at a time, and one of them was in a foreign country. There were no available translators, and he was the only one in the company that was fluent in German (he was fluent in six other languages excluding English: Japanese, Chinese, French, Spanish, Indian, and Russian). It was all up to him to take over the entire project.

Yes, in that moment of weakness, he had fallen asleep on his desk, before Hinata had left. He didn't know what to expect... to be raped, maybe? At least exploited, at the very least. But nothing of that sort had happened: instead, he had woken up in the morning (his watch had an alarm), covered in a blanket, with a Thermos of hot chocolate by him. Try as hard as he might, there was nothing of his missing, personal or not.

Of course, when he asked her, she had said that she had left a bit later, and had left him on his own since he seemed tired. She also said that she was contemplating on staying, but thought that that might have been a bit too imposing, so she hadn't.

And so, he had begun to trust Hinata. A really hard feat, actually, since there was only two other people in the world that he could bring himself to trust: his best friend and business partner, Kisame, and his estranged younger brother, Sasuke.

Really, he hadn't thought the time would come when he actually trusted a woman, of all things...

_XXVI._

"What's y-your favourite f-food?" One very ordinary evening, Hinata had stuttered this out to him. Itachi had wondered whether to actually answer, and decided to. It was rare that Hinata actually asked him something.

"Cabbage. Seaweed. And dango." he answered truthfully. "Why?" He was curious. Well, not really, since like always, his face was blank, but it truly was rare that Hinata asked him something.

"N-no r-reason." Hinata blushed a cherry red, and Itachi dropped it, before she got a haemorrhage from all the blood that was flowing to her brain. She always got embarrassed for the stupidest reasons... but that was actually quite endearing, compared to all of the other women who seemed to have no shame.

And so... he was, to say the least, when the next night, he came home to his favourite home cooked meals. "What's the occasion?" He asked, his eyebrows knitted together. She smiled secretively, but, as always, there was that cherry hue coating her being.

"It's t-the 9th. O-of J-june." She murmured, her blush turning that much darker. Itachi only raised an eyebrow in question. "Y-your b-birthday?" Ah. He had forgotten, somewhere between the new case at work and seeing Sasuke's rise to fame. "H-happy birthday."

She had made him cabbage soup, and seaweed wraps. It included a special dango cake, just for him. All in all, he was sure that it would be delicious. Not only that- she had also had given him a present to go with the food, too. A watch.

When did he even tell her his birthday? He didn't remember doing so... they didn't talk a lot. Nevertheless, he wouldn't tell her that she looked much prettier today, when she gave him his dango cake with the candles, than any of the other days so far.

People seemed to think that 'Scarlett' Itachi was a machine. Maybe he was- but even machines had birthdays. It seemed that Hinata was the only one that bothered. He didn't know why that made him warm(instead of cold.) inside, and he didn't bother finding out why.

_XXVII._

He was... allowing himself to be pampered. She made his favourite coffee, and his favourite food, regularly. He was having proper meals, and she also did all of laundry, as well. And he couldn't help but feel... uncomfortable.

No one, not since his mother, had known of his weaknesses. No one had been privy to such information, and if they knew, the had the ability to hold it against him. Hinata knew, and she still hadn't held it against him. How... strange.

Another strange thing was the questionable warmth that was appearing more and more frequently as the days went by. It always had something to do with Hinata, much to his confusion. How... curious. Every time she did something, this strange warmth, sometimes accompanied by a pleasurable shiver, coursed through his spine.

On a different note, he knew exactly what he was going to do that would be able to summon Sasuke to Hinata. As he had said, the only thing that would attract Sasuke's attention was his inevitable marriage; and... to make sure that Hinata would be there, she would be the bride.

That was not the only reason. Sasuke would try that much harder if he seemed 'threatened' by him. He would not make Hinata miserable, and in effect, he himself will not be miserable. Yes. It was a great plan. So... why did he have this sinking feeling in his gut whenever he thought of the reunion between Sasuke and Hinata?

Actually, he'd rather not think about it. Thinking did help, though... most of the time.

_XXVIII._

She told him that she was pregnant. Although she didn't mention the father, in his opinion, it was pretty obvious that it was Sasuke's (he was going to be an uncle!). He specifically asked about the father. But it was a golden opportunity for him to confess, so he took advantage, and confessed.

He had never confessed before, so he did it at the most round-about way possible, a way that was certain not to fail. Usually, it was the girls that confessed to him, so... he had zero experience. But that was obvious.

And even if girls confessed to him, he had never accepted their confessions. This was going to be his first time actually being in a relationship. Even if it was half way fake, for him.

He was happy that she was pregnant. As pregnant, it would take a while longer for them to get married, because it would be after she had given birth. He didn't know... why he was happy, but he just was. He wouldn't question it.

Although he did question one thing. He know he confessed, and the way he confessed, but... how the hell was he going to be a father? Where was Sasuke when you needed him?

_XXIX._

The baby... kicked (It had started kicking two months ago, though)! It kicked, when he had his hand on Hinata's stomach! He could feel it move! It reacted to his voice... that meant that it its world, it thought him as his father. Again... he was so, very happy and joyous.

Before Hinata, he didn't think he could _be _that happy. Before Hinata, he really didn't think he knew what happiness was: it was that warm feeling that spread from his heart, all the way to the tips of his toes. Frankly, Hinata made him happy. And so did this kid.

"It kicked again, Itachi!" Hinata beamed (she was too excited to stutter. Besides, she had stopped stuttering around him a couple of months ago). His hand was still engulfing hers. He smiled, a tentative smile, back.

"I know. I can feel it." He retorted, that slight smile still there, until it disappeared, fully. She was seven months pregnant.

Two months ago, she went to a doctors appointment. With him, of course. But that wasn't the point; the point was, the baby was healthy, but also, that she didn't want to find out the gender, and she preferred to find out the natural way. Personally, Itachi didn't agree... technology was created for a reason, right?

"What should we name the baby, Itachi?" Hinata said, her head cocked. Itachi thought. Maybe his mother's name would be suitable... she was the only non-greedy Uchiha (his brother excluded). And he did love her, prior to her death. Even if she did treat him like the genius he was.

"Mikoto. If it's a girl, we name her Mikoto." He told her, finally deciding on the name. It was his brother's mother as well... so it worked for him, too. Hinata nodded, meekly agreeing.

"But if it's a boy, it's Hizashi." Itachi shot her a questioning look, wondering of the story behind that name. She told him that her father's name was Hiashi... so why Hizashi? "It was my uncle's name. He gave his life to protect me in a car crash." Hinata told him, her eyes focused on a point in the distance.

There was a distinct ripping sound, followed by a splattering sound. Hinata's whole demeanour paled. "I-itachi... I think m-my water broke."

_XXX._

Watching Hinata give birth was probably one of the hardest things he had ever done. He felt so powerless, seeing her yell out in pain. He would much rather _be _the one to give birth, if only to spare Hinata the pain.

He had been told that when women give birth, their grips' on their partner's hands are painful... with Hinata, it was not the case. Her grip was light, and it was as if she was slipping away, like she was dying; and that scared Itachi more than anything else.

He was already frustrated. He was frustrated because he was terrified. The baby came out early... too early. Where there problems? Was the baby going to be okay? Was Hinata going to be okay? All of these questions plagued him, kept his eyes focused on her pale and sweaty face.

She's been in labour for five hours, now. He's been told that they can take more than a day; but still, five hours was a long time. He couldn't leave Hinata on her own, not even to eat. Business deals can wait until whenever, Hinata was more important. Screw the numerous phone calls his phone had been receiving (he had switched it off, within an hour of Hinata's labour). It was understandable, as he was about to leave for work, and now he was approximately four hours late, but still. Understandable, but not necessary.

"Push!" The midwife called, for the infinitive time. Really, those screams of supposed 'encouragement' rather slowed down the process, instead of helping it. It was then he saw a head come out, entangled in a mass of blood.

They managed to pull the baby out. Everything was fine (meaning the kid had given out a healthy scream upon its arrival), until the midwife saw the _other _baby kick its legs (still in Hinata's stomach- or more correctly, uterus). "You have twins! Push!" It was panic and chaos, for around two more hours, before they managed to get that kid out, as well.

What crappy doctors. They neglected to tell them that Hinata was pregnant with twins, not with a single kid. That was probably the reason for their premature birth. But Itachi could sue them later; right now, he had to focus on gripping Hinata's hand before she passed out. It seemed like her blood circulation had stopped.

He hated hospitals. When he was thirteen, he had developed a fatal disease, and had been in and out of hospitals until he was eighteen. Luckily, the disease had been resolved, but his hatred of hospitals still hasn't been.

With one last final, 'push', the other baby had come out. "Congratulations! You just gave brith to fraternal twins. One boy, and one girl!" They were professionally cleaned by the doctors and nurses, while some took on Hinata, as well. Too soon, a doctor came with a blank birth certificate. "What are their names?"

Since Hinata was too exhausted, Itachi took the wheel. "The girl is called Mikoto Scarlett, while the boy is Hizashi Scarlett." He could only be grateful that they had decided on the names before hand.

"Do you want to hold him?" Itachi shook his head, feeling faint. He wouldn't be able to hold anything in the state he was in.

They still had to plan the wedding. Itachi didn't exactly want to invite Sasuke over, but he had to give Hinata the chance for them to reconcile; maybe she would decide to be with him, though. An unlikely chance, but still there. Itachi couldn't be selfish, although he really wanted to be. She made him happy...

But he really was feeling faint. He- no more thoughts could be formed, not as the world turned black, and he passed out.

**To think that Itachi wasn't even the one who gave birth. Lol. Well, this is Itachi pov! This story has officially turned 6 and a half (epilogue) chapters.**

**Review, Review, Review, **

**Aurora-chan!**


	4. XXXI-XL

**AN: This story is dedicated to Darth Taisha. Hinata is back. Please check out my other story: The Hyuuga Massacre.**

_XXXI._

"You're just dragging Sasuke down, you whore. Don't you want him to succeed in life?" Sakura snarled, looking at her pretty polished nails. Hinata tried to say something, but it was like her mouth was filled with cotton. "Don't you want him to accomplish his dream?"

Yes. She did. Sasuke had told her, a couple of times (which was a _lot _for him), how much he wanted to share his music with the world. And she wanted to help him achieve his dream. "You know how hard it is to succeed, in this industry. And you should also know that him having a girlfriend only drags him down."

Here, Hinata had to retort. "H-he never s-said anything a-about me d-dragging him d-down." It was true. While Sasuke hadn't said it, he seemed quite happy that she was there, with him. He wasn't very vocal about his feelings.

"Oh? Well, maybe not verbally... but I'm _sure _he's shown you how he felt about it, and you?" That part scared her. Yes, just earlier today, he had gotten angry at her for one thing or another... he seemed to be doing that more and more often. "Guess what? You're a burden. To him. Is that what you want to be?"

Suddenly, her face warped into Sasuke's. "Why are you burdening me?" The colours, and pictures all mixed together. Sasuke's face was etched into her mind.

That was when she woke up, all sweaty and shivering. It was only the normal nightmare... based on a memory. Unlike the real memory, however, Sakura's face always warped to Sasuke's, at the end. She reminded herself that she was safe, and that there was no Sakura here. No, not in Itachi's embrace.

"You okay?" Came Itachi's concerned and sleepy voice.

"F-fine. T-thanks, Itachi."

_XXXII._

Itachi didn't exactly propose for them to get married, it just kind of clicked. But one day, when he got home, he threw her a box, saying that it was for her. Hinata got kind of confused (since it wasn't her birthday or anything), and opened the small box.

Inside it, was a ring. Hinata looked over to stare incredulously at Itachi, unable to get over her disbelief. She studied the ring, observing its shape. It was plain, a pretty white colour, with a large moon shaped- diamond? (anyway, sparkly white thing), in the middle. There were several amethyst stones going around the ring, as well. It was beautiful.

But Itachi left the room before Hinata could say anything. But, much to his probable embarrassment, she did see the tips of his ears turn red.

_XXXIII._

Itachi was rocking Hizashi while Hinata was feeding Mikoto. It was hard being parents; Hinata was exhausted, and Itachi looked exhausted, too. It was partly her fault, because she refused to get nannies, claiming that it was better if they raised their kids themselves.

The were the most perfect kids that Hinata could wish for, and you could actually say that Itachi was the father. When they went to Itachi's work, no one doubted him being the father; which made both her and Itachi happy.

Mikoto had onyx black hair (not much of it), with her left eye being white, and her right eye being black. She looked more like Sasuke, than like her. Well, you could also say, more like Itachi, than like her.

On the other hand, Hizashi had her straight indigo hair (not much of it), with his left eye being black and his right, white. He took after her.

Both of the children were quiet, and calm. They rarely cried. Mikoto was a Mommy's girl while Hizashi was a Daddy's boy. They were now three months old, and had already started making noises that resembled words (Mikoto, at least). Her first word was 'Momma', Hinata could proudly boast.

Hizashi didn't talk as much, strangely enough. He only sat and stared. It worried Hinata, but Itachi said that the kid was 'just fine', and that there was no need to worry. Hmph. He even teased her, calling her a mother hen!

Other than the kids being adorable and sweet (loud, too), they had decided to get married in two months time. Itachi always looked uneasy when the marriage was mentioned... but well, he proposed, not her! It was probably just nerves...

_XXXIV._

Planning a wedding was much more work than what people gave it credit for. The pretty wedding planner, Temari, sat across from them, a clipboard in hand. "So, what main colours will the wedding be in?"

Itachi stared helplessly at Hinata. Luckily, his phone rang. "Excuse me..." he said, and promptly left the room, and the strained silence. The children were at home; even with Hinata protesting, Itachi had hired a nanny, saying that 'someone had to look after the children while they had business'. Hinata hadn't been able to disagree.

"Well...?" Temari probed, before taking out a scheme of colours. "What are you looking for? Something loud and colourful, or something that goes with Suna's natural desert landscape?" Hinata impotently stared at the myriads of colours. Choices, choices.

"U-um. Something c-calm and p-peaceful? G-green, maybe..." Green was Itachi's favourite colour. But hers was lavender. Back when she had a crush on Naruto, it used to be orange, but times had changed. "A-and lavender, i-if t-that's ok." Temari grinned broadly. They were getting somewhere!

"Fine. Look at these many varieties of greens. Do you want artichoke green, asparagus green, olive green, teal green, midnight green, sea green, neon green, or...?" Temari then excitedly continued listing shades of purple. "Thistle purple, mauve purple, liseran purple, mardi gras purple, pansy purple, or?" Hinata's head was spinning. Were there really that many shades of colours?

To stop this madness, she took a wild guess. Or, she would have, if Itachi hadn't come back, a look of dread on his face. Well, she could see it, but to everybody else, he probably looked. But, it was payback time. "H-honey, out o-of shades of g-green and p-purple, which o-ones do you c-choose? Excuse m-me, I have t-to go to t-the bathroom."

And she was gone with the wind.

In the end, they (Itachi) decided to use sea green, and ole' lavender.

_XXXV._

They needed to decide the bridesmaids, maid of honour, groomsmen, and the best man. At least, that was what Temari said. "U-um, if y-you want, y-you can b-be the m-maid of h-honour, Ms. Temari" Hinata politely invited. She didn't have any friends in Suna, as she had left them all behind in Konoha. She was virtually friendless, here.

"Really? Thanks!" Temari beamed, seeming very happy with that arrangement. People always seemed to forget about her as the wedding planner. "So, Mr. Itachi, who will the best man be?" Itachi seemed uneasy, (to Hinata) but answered after a moment's consideration.

"Kisame South." He answered, a faked look of disinterest upon his face. "How many groomsmen are there?"

Temari seemed lost in thought. "Well, Sir, that highly depends. Do you want this to be a large and grand ceremony, a medium sized one, or a private one?"

In unison, both Hinata and Itachi chanted, "Private." They were both private people, after all. Hinata was relieved- she had a horrid stage fright, and preferred there to be less people, and a small crowd.

"Well, then two bridesmaids and groomsmen would be enough. Can I have their names?"

"The groomsmen would be: my brother, and Pein Zero. Oh, and one of the bridesmaids will be Konan White." Hinata shot Itachi a relieved look. He nodded in acceptance, but Hinata couldn't help but note that he looked a bit too uneasy for such a discussion with the wedding planner.

"I-i'm new to S-suna, so I-I don't r-really h-have any f-friends." To Hinata's comfort, Temari didn't laugh, but instead smiled in reassurance.

"That's okay, I have a friend that wouldn't mind being a bridesmaid. Her name is Matsuri. Well, it's good that we have this sorted. But we still haven't thought about the flowers, food, and place..." Itachi shot Hinata a look that just screamed, 'kill me now'.

_XXXVI._

The children were now four months old, and the wedding was looming ahead. Hinata was out in a store, grocery shopping. Fortunately, she ended up by the television sector. The news people were starting to report things that you would normally read in a tabloid magazine.

"... and he's starting an on tour! Uchiha Sasuke's latest hit, Why Did You, seemed to have topped the charts!" Hinata's head unconsciously snapped towards the television. There showed a nonchalant and blank Sasuke, who was about to sing.

His voice resounded throughout the room, and Hinata couldn't help but stop and listen. It had been such a long time since she had heard his voice. But that was when she actually started listening to the music. "Are you listening? I ask you why! Why why why why why! Am I ugly? Am I bad? Why why why why why! Does my pain give you pleasure? Or am I not a treasure?" It was as if he was talking, or singing, straight to her.

Her face paled, and she immediately started walking towards the check out, forgetting what exactly she was supposed to get.

She all but ran out of the store, reassuring herself that it was just a phase, and that Sasuke _would _get over her. He was famous, he was happy.

_XXXVII._

"So... have you decided on what kind of cake you would like?" Hinata stared at Temari, uncomprehending. She glanced at Itachi, but focused her attention back on Temari. He would be no

help. If it was up to him, it would be dango cake. She was no help, either. If it was up to her... it would be cinnamon cake. Was cinnamon dango cake an option?

"O-one that t-tastes g-good?" Hinata suggested meekly, already exhausted. Actually, she hated the wedding planning. Itachi tried to bale out, a couple of times, but Hinata had made him stay, much to his irritati1on. It was their wedding, and both of them should go through the torture of planning it.

"Well, that's kind of obvious! What do you want it to taste like? Fruity? Strawberry? Chocolate, vanilla?" Hinata could totally imagine a girly 'talk to me!', at the end, but she ignored her over-active creativity, instead focusing on the many choices. Yet again: choices, choices.

"Well, I'd rather go with the vanilla." Itachi piped up. Previously, Hinata had observed how he did the inie-minie-mynie-moe song, to save time. That was fine with her. It was a lifesaver.

"Great! Now, what do you want on the cake? What kind of decorations? It has to match with the purple and green theme, after all!" Hinata kept telling herself that it would be impolite to tune her out, while Itachi had no such reservations.

_XXXVIII._

Today, the nanny was sick, so Hinata and Itachi were stuck with bringing the kids to the wedding planner. Temari greeted them with a smile, but then frowned when she saw the extra 'baggage'. They weren't extra baggage, and Hinata was itching to scold Temari for that. But she couldn't because she'd be making something out of nothing. "Who are they?" Temari gestured to the children in an opulent manner.

"Our son. And daughter." Itachi answered, a slight edge in his voice. He must have heard the insult in Temari's voice. Temari instantly straightened up, confused.

"You... have children?" Came Temari's bewildered voice. Hinata timidly nodded. Temari's face went through a couple of stages, before it settled on enthusiasm. "We need to pick out their outfits! I can't really say anything, but my professional opinion would be to have the girl in the light lavender, and the boy in green! Oh, that would be so adorable! What are their names?"

"M-mikoto, and H-hizashi." Hinata answered, relaxed. It was obvious that Temari must have completely disregarded the obvious resemblance, and must have thought that these children were not their own. Probably because people usually had children after they were married, and not before.

"Oh, well! We were going to discuss outfits today, anyway! Do you want the bridesmaid's and groomsmen's outfits to match the children's?" Hinata almost groaned. At least they didn't have to do the wedding dress and Itachi's outfit now... "We'll do your outfits next week! The wedding dress is the most exciting of them all!" Itachi sent Hinata a cheery look (his face blank, though).

_XXXIX._

It was the last thing they had to do before the wedding. The wedding dress! Hinata was so _excited_. So excited, that she could scream. Even more, when Temari had told her that Itachi couldn't be present- so he couldn't get his share of torture, either.

Hinata wanted to get married- because she wanted to be one with someone. She wanted to share her life, her soul with Itachi. Not like some girls, who wanted to get married just to get married- for the status, and the high they got from it all. From the enjoyment they got when searching for bridal dresses, just like these ones.

Her hands leafed through the different white dresses covered in plastic. That was when Temari entered, a smile on her face. As she had told Hinata last time, this was her favourite part of the wedding. Picking out the stupid wedding dress.

A dress finally caught her eye. She lunged towards it, wanting to have this over with. Temari instantly agreed with her choice: it was simple enough that she was happy with it, but elaborate enough to suit her wedding planner's taste. It showed quite a bit of her midriff, much to her frustration (showing off her well endowed bosom). Luckily, it was a private wedding, and not many people would be seeing her. It hugged her waste line, but then spread out at the lower body, in ripples. The official name for it was a 'couture' dress.

"I'll get that one." Hinata decided. It fit her perfectly. Fortunately, both her and Temari left that store satisfied (after grappling with some greedy sales-person).

_XL._

It was the day of the wedding (there was no girl night... as Hinata had no one to really celebrate it with). Hinata was shaking. All that planning had finally come into fruition. It was a relatively small wedding: ten guests (mostly Itachi's friends from the company) excluding the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Itachi's brother (who Hinata still had yet to learn the name of) had not come, or was late. Hinata had met Matsuri; she was nice, if not a bit too eccentric.

And it was Matsuri and Temari that were now pushing her to go up the aisle (by herself... she hadn't even told her father about her marriage, or her children. Too much drama, and she didn't want them to become the Hyuuga's tools).

She was all assembled in her attire. Her wedding dress, her make up (Temari got her a professional make-up artist), her hair (professional hair-stylist, too) was all done beautifully. This would be the one time in Hinata's lifetime that she truly felt and looked beautiful. But- beautiful as she was- it was as if this was all a large fraud, and that this wasn't her. She couldn't possibly be that person in the mirror.

The wedding music started, and she started shakily walking. Itachi seemed so far away. And... was it just her, or did he seem on the verge of panicking and running away? Maybe it was just her. She concentrated on not tripping; who knows, with her luck, she might end up doing just that. On her wedding, too.

Mikoto and Hizashi were the flower boy and girl. They were throwing the red rose petals around, looking adorable. But she couldn't focus on them, however hard she tried to.

Itachi was waiting for her at the end of the aisle. That's what she told herself as she made her way towards him and the priest, still feeling rather anxious.

Everything started blurring together. The priest started saying the sermons, about them being together in life and death. Hinata stared at Itachi's form, feeling that if she didn't, she was going to faint.

When she was younger, she had anxiety problems, and often fainted. She would not allow herself to faint now, she couldn't. And Hinata grew calmer just seeing Itachi.

The priest was already on the oath part of marriage. "Will you, Scarlett Itachi, take Hyuuga Hinata to be your wife? Will you promise to be true to her in good times and bad, in sickness and in health? Will you love and honour her throughout all the days of your life, till death do you apart?"

Itachi's eyes on her were intense. There was also a strange emotion in them, one that Hinata couldn't place. "I do." His voice was loud and clear, and resounded throughout the room.

"And will you, Hyuuga Hinata, take Scarlett Itachi, to be your husband? Will you promise to be true to him in good times and bad, in sickness and in health? Will you love and honour him throughout all the days of your life, till death do you apart?"

Hinata's mind froze, and image of Sasuke coming up to her, one last time. What about him? There was no him. He was better off now, she reassured herself. She was happy with Itachi. "I-I-"

The cathedral door opened with a bang, cutting her off.

"Brother, sorry I'm late. The flight was delayed."

**That was waaaay too rushed. Im sorry. I couldnt do it. :/. I bet that wasnt the climax you guys wanted. Im not happy with myself, but whatever. Happy new years, everybody! Oh, and the site where I found the wedding dress is www . simplelove2u why-couture-wedding-dresses-are-so-popular . html (without the spaces)**

**Review, Review, Review,**

**Aurora-chan!**


	5. XLI-L

**AN: This story is dedicated to Darth Taisha. Sasuke. Roar. I feel the hate, lol. Already. I told you, Im evil. Very evil.**

_XLI._

Sasuke's head rested on the table, with a cup of steaming coffee and his notepad accompanying him. It had been what- almost a year? He still hadn't found Hinata, even though he sent numerous detectives on her trail.

It was exhausting. Being famous. Being something that he was not. Every day, he went outside, and people idolised him, thought him higher than others, cleansed of emotions. Although, it was worth it, when people listened to his music.

And, through his music, he could always somehow be connected to Hinata.

Itachi (who he had become quite close to) had said that his wedding was next month. He was curious as to who would be his sister-in-law; he could never quite imagine who would fit with his brother. It was very obvious, though, that his stoic brother was in love.

He could tell by the tone of his voice, when he talked. A subtle adoration entrapped by pain, like all love was. Sasuke still found it very strange. He had never thought, never believed, that his brother could fall in love. Oh, well, he'd find out soon enough (in a month).

_XLII._

He was on tour (in the private jet), yet again, and his annoying manager was trying to make a move on him. Sakura's green eyes followed him lustfully as he raised the water glass to his lips. She then moved, hugging his waist from behind. Sasuke absent mindedly removed her hands from his body.

"Sa-su-ke. You know you want me. You have no obligation to that bitch of an _ex_-girlfriend, Hinata." Sakura purred in his ears, her irritating voice dropping a tone. He didn't let her taunts effect him.

Truthfully, even with his needs, he would never go to her. Even if he didn't find her annoying, in his mind, she would always be connected to Naruto. The Naruto who was still waiting for her to get over her psychotic crush.

Really, after the whole Hinata fiasco, he hadn't had the time to fire her and search for a different manager. "Sakura, you're mistaken. I find you pesky, to a fault. I will never want you, and it will do you good to stop trying. Unless you want me to fire you, that is." His blunt words startled, and hurt her.

"Sasuke, I love you. Why can't you see that?" Sakura demanded, her eyes welling up.

"I do see it. I just don't love you. Why don't you just get together with Naruto, and get it over with?" He asked, his words icy. Sakura then ran out of the room, probably to the bathroom, sobs trailing in her wake.

Tch. Women. He really needed to start looking for a new manager...

_XLIII._

"Sasuke, don't be so boring. I would be a great manager. And... we can just... hangout... sometimes." The redhead took off her glasses, and pushed them against her lips, in what she thought was a seductive gesture. It made Sasuke want to barf. Seriously... when he requested, and searched for a manager, he did not look for... _this_. 

"Next." He called out, making the redhead pout.

"Are you sure? We can have _so _much fun together!" She smiled, her creepy red eyes gazing at him with intensity.

"Next!" He demanded, as the bodyguards came in to escort her out. They were a new addition that were needed for this job.

"Call me! My phone number is-" Her voice faded in the background, letting Sasuke exhale a sigh of relief. If this was his first choice, he was apprehensive as to what his other choices would be.

Next, stepped a platinum blonde, making Sasuke instantly recognize her as Ino, who, in his high school years, used to be a twin terror with Sakura. "Next!" He yelled, in an exasperated tone.

"Wait, Sasuke, just hear me out-" she was gone, being pulled along by his very useful (he now decided) male bodyguards.

He had no patience for this. If this one, the next one, was unsatisfactory, he would just have to make due without a manager, for the time being.

He needn't have worried. A male stepped inside, his feet dragging themselves along in a lazy fashion. At first, he might have mistaken him for a female, as he had long hair tied in a pony tail. His eyes, although tired, gleamed with intelligence.

Sasuke only had to take one look at him, before he said, "You're hired."

_XLIV._

His hands gripped the leather seat as the plane shook. Turbulence was such a hassle.

He had taken a break from his tour, to come to his brother's wedding. Sadly, in Ame, it always rained, so the flight was delayed by three hours, much to his annoyance. He would be late to the wedding. And his brother told him that he was to be a groomsman, too.

His outfit had been mailed to him. It was a mellow green colour, with lavender cuffs. He thought it to be way to girly, but it kind of reminded him of Hinata. It must have been his imagination, though. After all, a lot of things reminded him of Hinata.

Luckily, the turbulence was soon over. "Half an hour till landing." The speaker over head announced. Of course, he was in the private, first-class section of the plane. Sadly, though, he was unable to get his private jet to fly him to Suna. Whatever. He'd arrive soon, anyway.

He was actually kind of nervous about arriving. He hadn't seen his brother since he was a child. Sure, he'd spoken to him on the phone, but it just wasn't the same. How was his brother? How would he react to him? Would he be disappointed of him, of his wayward career?

He hadn't actually truly felt nervous in a long, long time. To be nervous, it had to be around the people you cared about; those people, to him, were now a precious few in number. Naruto, his best friend, Itachi, his brother, and Hinata, his soul mate.

"We are now landing."

_XLV._

A driver picked him up from the airport, and the car was fortunately not a limousine. The driver had the address. There was no problems on getting there, although Sasuke did command for him to 'hurry up'. Sasuke then briefly regretted his decision as the colours started blurring together.

At least they got there on time (with many almost- collisions).

Despite it all, he was late. He observed all of the cars parked beside the quaint chapel. There weren't many. It was just like his brother to have a quiet wedding out in the middle of nowhere (the chapel was one that was out in the countryside). The chapel was a pretty little thing: Gothic style, from what he could tell.

Suddenly, a bad, ominous feeling clenched in his gut. He wrote it off as nerves, and ignored it. A mistake, as he would soon learn.

He strode forward and opened the gates with more confidence than he thought he had. They opened with a 'clang', interrupting whatever was happening inside. Sasuke's gaze singled out his brother, as he said, "Brother, sorry I'm late. The flight was delayed." He conveyed a silent apology for intercepting whatever was going on, as well.

The chapel was deathly silent. Sasuke turned his eyes towards the bride, who still hadn't turned to face him, throughout it all. From what he could see, she was abnormally pale. Who knew his brother went for those types? She also had long, wavy indigo hair... just like Hinata's. A pain went through his chest.

The silence was destroyed by a child's wails. "Momma, momma!" Were some of the recognizable mumbles, along with the searing cries. That seemed to snap the bride out of whatever trance she was in.

Instead, she (the bride) confidently walked towards the child, picking it up. The way she walked... it couldn't be! Her face was veiled, prohibiting Sasuke from confirming his rather alarming suspicions. It was then Sasuke caught sight of the child. She (his mind registered) had long, onyx black hair, much like his brother's, with one eye pitch black, and one eye... a stark white.

Sasuke's mind went blank. The crowd, by now, had started murmuring, no longer staying silent. He strode forward, as if in a trance, straight towards the bride. Except, his brother got in his way. Itachi shook his head, his face grim.

Sasuke glared at him. "Out of my way." He growled, his face twisted in an ugly scowl. Itachi shook his head, staying strong.

He wanted to see what her face was like. If it was the same, treacherous face that he still, despite everything, loved. It seemed as if the God he didn't believe in was on his side, because at that exact moment, the veil shifted. It was exactly who Sasuke didn't want it to be.

Hinata was paler than ever, and Sasuke hated himself for worrying for her health. Itachi shook the (suddenly) quiet child from her, his eyes never leaving Sasuke's. "I never meant for it to turn out this way." He quietly informed Sasuke, who was beyond all conversing, at the moment.

A rage had built up in his heart. A rage so great, that the world was red. His hands started shaking. "I looked for you, for a year! And what do you do? You procreate with my own brother!" He yelled, still unable to differentiate black from white.

He took off, running away from the chapel, unable to bear looking at them. He would calm down, and he would be back.

Certainly.

_XLVI._

He opened the door, shattered, his only relief to be Hinata's soothing smell. To his surprise, he opened the door to banners, and rose petals that littered to floor. "Happy B-birthday!" Hinata beamed at him, with a plate in her hands.

A few people congratulated him today, for his birthday. He had not forgotten, but he had thought that she had forgotten. She had not.

The plate in her hands held diced tomatoes, covered in a garlic sauce. Just like how his mother made them. He remembered telling her that, when he thought that she wasn't listening.

He hugged her, held her in his arms, and no words were needed to express his feelings. And he would always deny that single tear that dropped from his eyes, and unto his birthday dish. He finished it with relish, and it was as if his mother was smiling down from him, from heaven.

He was also given a golden watch (from her). He had never taken it off since.

Sasuke would have never thought that she would have left him, a couple of months later...

_XLVII._

Strawberries. She tasted like strawberries.

They had invented a kissing game, that they played every once in a while. One that Sasuke could play for hours. Hinata had never complained, anyway.

Today was his parent's death anniversary. The Uchiha's downfall. The day that he had lost touch with his brother.

They had visited the cemetery. Usually, Sasuke did that alone, but this time, Hinata had insisted on accompanying him. They had stayed there, silently praying on his parent's grave, for what seemed like hours.

It rained. The rain pelted on them, soaking their clothes through. The water dripped through his hair, falling in droplets onto the ground. He worried for Hinata, who sat beside him, shivering, and wet. But she didn't complain. She didn't say anything, but took his hand, her face angled towards the ground. It was then that she started speaking.

"Mrs. Uchiha, a-and Mr. Uchiha. I k-know it s-seems s-stupid... but I-I just w-wanted to t-thank you f-for giving l-life to S-sasuke. Without him... I-I don't k-know where I-I would b-be." Hinata said, and some of her stutters, Sasuke noted, where due to the shivers that raced through her spine (due to the cold).

"H-he misses y-you. And p-please continue t-to watch o-over him, as I'm s-sure you've d-done, up u-until now." Those words warmed Sasuke's heart. Itas then that the rain cleared, and Sasuke felt like he had been given phantom permission to marry this girl, meaning that his parents approved of her.

They had went home. Sasuke's glum mood had not diminished, and it was then that Hinata had (for the first time) suggested that they play the kissing game.

It was strawberries that she had tasted like.

It was too bad that Sasuke didn't know that she'd leave him.

_XLVIII._

He fiddled with the ring in his hand. Marriage was such a... complicated thing. Sasuke wanted to be able to make enough money with his career to support them both, until he proposed.

Still... that didn't mean that he couldn't think about it.

The ring felt heavy in his hand. It was his mother's, his grandmother's, and her mother before her. It was the Uchiha ring, the one that his brother was supposed to receive, but it went to him, instead. He glanced at the body beside him.

There Hinata lay, exhausted, and asleep. He silently slipped the ring on her finger; an experiment, if you will. The Uchiha ring, a platinum engagement ring with an Uchiha ring on it, fit on her slender finger perfectly. He stared with fascination at it. It was like she was destined for the ring.

Destined for him.

Such moments slipped away, and he didn't know that she was going to leave him in two weeks.

_XLIX._

A terrible rage was coursing throughout his being, even though he was at his hotel, away from both his brother and Hinata. Even though it had been hours since what had happened.

He didn't think he could ever forgive his brother. He remembered telling him about Hinata; her name, her face, her personality. Itachi must have known. And for Itachi to invite him to _their _wedding? Unforgivable!

And Hinata! Was it so easy to forget all of those precious, happy memories that they shared? Was it so easy to forget their love? Why was it so easy for her to move on (to his brother, no less), when he was there, searching for her unfailingly?

And, more importantly, why did she leave in the first place? Was it to escape to his brother? Why, why, why, why, why?

His trembling hands searched for his notebook, as he sought for a way to express his pain on paper. Maybe that would help him see this with a clearer mind; and maybe, he would be able to take his revenge on his brother, and take what was rightfully his.

Tomorrow, he would search out Hinata, and she would be the first, privileged, to see the song that he wrote today. In her name.

_L._

The phone was in the seat next to him, its message board showing _'12 missed calls'_. Sasuke wished that he could bring himself to care.

He had borrowed the car from the hotel, and he was on his way to where his brother had said he lived. Maybe there, he would find Hinata, and demand the explanations from her.

It was then his phone rang. He knew he wasn't supposed to talk in a car, but it kept on ringing, in an irritatingly cheerful tone. In annoyance, he picked it up. He didn't bother checking who the caller was, a mistake he sorely regretted when he heard the voice. "Sasuke?"

"What is it, traitor?" Sasuke snarled back, his eyes on the road. He was tempted to hang up, but he might as well hear what his 'brother' had to say.

"Sasuke. Hinata didn't betray you. If you really want to know, those children at the chapel, they aren't mine-"

"Oh? And I care why? So she had another boyfriend before you, then?" His mind flashed to the children. They looked like Itachi, though. How could it be possible for them not to be? "Unless you're lying, trying to appease me."

"I'm not lying, Sasuke. Stop being a child. Actually, you're the father-" He was the father?

No more thoughts were made, as he heard a screech, and the car halted. His head banged against the steering wheel, his phone went flying out of his hand. Pain seeped through his body. A horrible, bone chilling pain. The world went black, then white.

And suddenly, he could feel no more.

**Well! You hate me, I know you do. :D.**

**Review, Review, Review, **

**Aurora-chan! **


	6. LI-LX

**AN: This story is dedicated to Darth Taisha. This is the end. Very evil, lol. No, theres an epi. And, also, could guest 11 please make an account? I could reply to your long winded reviews, that way. **

_LI._

It wasn't supposed to end like this. No, not at all. Sasuke was supposed to come before the ceremony, and take away Hinata, for them to live happily ever after (leaving his lonesome self alone). But no, it was not so.

Instead, Sasuke had come at the worst possible moment, just when Itachi had given up all hope. He should have calculated that he might have been late. He should have known. But that did not excuse the fact that he was going to get married to Hinata, and neither was the fact that he did not regret it.

Actually, to add onto his guilty mind, he was kind of happy. He had come to terms with it- he was in love with her. If she became _his_- swore an oath upon it, he would be a very happy man. Guilty forever, with that pit of iron in his stomach- but happy, still.

Yes, Sasuke at the worst possible time: neither here, nor there. He came right in the middle of wedding, stopping Hinata from saying, 'I do'. He arrived with the most insolent words, "Brother, sorry I'm late. The flight was delayed."

Itachi observed Hinata's face, that instantly paled as she heard Sasuke's voice. A protective feeling enveloped him as he worried for Hinata's health. Mikoto started crying, and Hinata went to pick her up. He glanced at Sasuke; his eyes were fixed on Hinata, even though the veil should have hidden her face.

When Sasuke's eyes grew furious, Itachi went to protect Hinata. The exchange between them was heated, especially with Sasuke's impulsive insults. Itachi was really concerned for Hinata (he took Mikoto from her); that parlour of skin couldn't be normal. Fortunately, after exhausting his anger, Sasuke left in a hurry. Running, in fact.

Itachi left Mikoto to the first person in sight (it happened to be Tobi, sadly) and ran to Hinata. It was just in time, because he caught her right as she fainted. Her skin was abnormally cold. He cradled her, deciding that there was no need for an ambulance (she just needed to get over the shock).

Around him, the wedding party was in an uproar. "Silence!" Itachi demanded, his commanding tone quieting them. "As you can see, something unexpected has come up." With his head, he helplessly gestured to Hinata. "The wedding is cancelled."

"What do you mean, cancelled! I took time off just for your stupid wedding, Itachi, un!"

"Fucking cunt. That fuck-ass pussy brother of yours fucked up this shit." Even Tobi, who lacked common sense, had the decency to cover Mikoto's ears.

"Tobi is a good boy! Why is the wedding cancelled?"

_LII._

Itachi tenderly held Hinata's hand. The children were given to the baby-sitter; Itachi held a silent vigil by Hinata's bed. He had left the wedding site shortly afterwards, not particularly caring about the wedding guests. They could look after themselves.

He had to tell Hinata the truth. She deserved that much. Especially with the way that Sasuke blew up on her. It was up to Itachi to patch things up, no matter how much he didn't want to. It was obvious that Hinata loved Sasuke, and Sasuke returned those feelings. He was the father of her children.

A small bloom of jealousy raged in his chest, but it was quickly suppressed. There was nothing that he could do about it, at any rate.

It was then that Itachi caught sight of Hinata's eye lids opening. She was awake. There was a faraway look on her face; one of deep contemplation. "Morning." Itachi teased, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. The sun was setting outside, actually.

"Night." Hianta returned, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. But the happy mood didn't last as Hinata tried to lift herself up, a serious look upon her face. "Itachi... why d-didn't you t-tell me t-that Sasuke w-was your b-brother?" Her stutter was back (with him), which indicated her anxiety.

"Why didn't you tell me that he was your past boyfriend, the father of your children?" He shot back, an eyebrow raised.

"T-touché." Hinata joked. "But, f-from the w-way he t-talked, that i-indicated that y-you knew of o-our relationship."

Itachi nodded. "I knew." Hinata's eyebrows rose.

"Then... why?" It was time for Itachi to share the truth, as much as he didn't want to.

"Would you have anything to do with me if you knew that I was his brother?" Hinata shook her head. "Exactly. And besides, my priority was to bring you two together, so you would no longer be miserable. The wedding was a scheme to get you two to meet."

Hinata had suddenly gone quiet. "W-was it a-all a j-joke? D-do I mean n-nothing to y-you? W-was your c-confession fake, a s-scheme?" It was painful for Itachi to lie. But in order for Hinata to forget about him, and get together with his brother without any guilt, it was very necessary.

"Yes." He answered promptly, avoiding her eyes. If she saw his eyes, she would see through the lie. Hinata nodded her head, seeming quiet. Then she gave out a little laugh.

"I-I should h-have known." It was all she said. "I-I won't p-push you f-for any more d-details. C-can I s-stay here f-for the night? I-I'll be g-gone by tomorrow a-afternoon, I p-promise." Her eyes then drooped as her body lost consciousness. She must have been past her limit. It had been a very rough day for the both of them.

When Itachi was sure that she was asleep, he kissed her. He memorized her taste, smell, and essence, since it would probably be the last time that he would get to do this, to be beside her. Strawberries. She tasted like strawberries.

After he kissed her, he straightened up, deciding to leave. Else, he would never be able to leave. It was time to say goodbye to his kids.

_LIII._

Mikoto and Hizashi were awake, and wide eyed when he saw them. "Dadda!" Mikoto cried, a wide smile appearing on her face. Itachi's chest had never felt so tight before. Hizashi kept quiet (probably sensing the mood).

"Mikoto. Hizashi." Itachi said, dismissing the baby-sitter. He fished a hundred bill from his wallet, handing it to her. She left, not looking back. The rings on her eyes were notable.

"It's my time to say my farewells." He said, scooping them in his arms. Mikoto was on his right arm, while Hizashi stayed on his left. "It's very foolish. Most likely, you won't even recall what was said. It matters not, I suppose."

"Maybe you won't ever see me again after tomorrow. I calculated that by the end of the week, you would be safe with your Dad. But even if it's so- know that I was your father, and you are my children. I named you, and fed you, and stayed up with you for the first few months of your life. That is what matters." Itachi felt his eyes tear up, and cursed himself for being so emotional.

"Mikoto, grow up to be gentle and kind like my mother, and yours." He kissed her forehead, hugging her fragile body against his. "Hizashi, be strong, and protect your sister." He kissed his forehead, and was surprised when Hazashi kissed his cheek. Itachi smiled, and ruffled his hair. "I love you both." He stayed with them throughout the night.

_LIV._

The morning came too soon, and it was time to call Sasuke and clear things up. Itachi was resigned to his fate. He dialled Sasuke's phone number, holding it against his ear. It rung for awhile, before Sasuke picked it up answering with an annoyed tone.

They bickered for a few moments, before Itachi finally told him the truth. "Actually, you're the father-" was all he managed to say before the line went dead, with him hearing a distinct whizzing sound before the end.

A horrible, foreboding feeling rose in his gut.

_LV._

The beep of the machine was uneven, a thing that worried Itachi immensely. Hinata held Sasuke's hand, tears dripping down her face silently in a cascade. It would have been better if she was hysterically sobbing- but she wasn't.

Itachi was called by the hospital, telling him to come immediately, and that his brother was in a car crash. Itachi told the awake Hinata, and taking Mikoto and Hizashi (they were silent, somehow, being held by Itachi), they made their way to the hospital (there was no time to look for a baby sitter). They had arrived to see Sasuke in a critical condition.

His lung had been punctured, both of his legs broken, and his eye sight deteriorated. The doctor had said that there was a slim to none chance of survival.

Hours had passed, and his condition only worsened. It was then that Sasuke stirred. The beep of the machine went haywire, and Hinata's clutch on Sasuke's hand grew stronger. Sasuke's unsteady hand went to remove the breathing tube that rested on his nose. The door to the private (and expensive) room opened, and a nurse, accompanied by a doctor, stepped in. "No-" Sasuke rasped, his voice uneven. "Let... me... talk."

The doctor moved to stabilize his condition, but Itachi held up his hand. He would listen to what Sasuke had to say. Sasuke wouldn't die. He couldn't. He was strong, and his brother. Sasuke turned his blind gaze over to Hinata.

"Hinata... I... love you. I've... always loved you." Hinata shook her head.

"Stop t-talking like t-that. You a-aren't going to d-die." a tear drop landed on Sasuke's face. Sasuke's other hand wiped the tear, and tasted it.

"Don't... cry. Can I... see them?" Itachi handed the children to him (of course, carefully aiding him). Hizashi stayed silent, while Mikoto let out a silent whimper. "Their... names?"

"Mikoto. And Hizashi." Itachi told him, his grip shaking. This couldn't be happening... this wouldn't be happening. It was impossible. Sasuke was just being a drama queen, like always.

"Fitting... names. My children... stay strong." Sasuke said, his grip loosening. Itachi took them back, placing them on his lap. "I don't have... a lot of time... left." Sasuke wheezed, the beep of the machine going wild. The doctor shook his head sadly, muttering something under his breath. The nurse went to replace the breathing tube on Sasuke, but Sasuke shook it off.

"Itachi... take care of her... and them... you bastard." The line went flat, and the doctor took out some instruments, while the nurse ushered them out of the room. Itachi's world went blank, and he was almost unaware of anything except the single, lonely tear that slid down his face.

_LVI._

Sasuke was dead. He died. He was no longer living. No longer upon this word. Itachi felt numb, while Hinata was still in a state of grief. They held onto each other, and their children. The words from that day had been forgotten, and Hinata still lived with him.

One day, she broke down when he came home from work. She was too emotional to stutter, even. "Why, Itachi, why? I loved him! He wasn't supposed to die... I should have died! I... I'm useless, just like they said! I killed him! I killed him!" Itachi hugged her, and she held on, as if holding on for dear life. Mikoto also tumbled over, and joined the hug.

"If anything, it was me who killed him." Itachi said bitterly, still feeling numb. Maybe he would always feel numb, and disconnected. "I was on the phone with him at the time of the crash..."

"Oh, I-Itachi..." Hinata continued sobbing.

"We have to stay strong. If for anyone, for the kids. That's what he would have wanted."

_LVII._

The television was on, with himself and Hinata watching it. It was then a female news-reporter mentioned Sasuke. "A few days ago, at ten o'clock in the morning, Uchiha Sasuke, the famous rock star, died in a fatal car crash." She was doing well, her face stoic, until she totally broke down sobbing. The male beside her comforted her.

"It-it was said," she choked out, "that he died with his brother. No one knew that he was in Suna. That is all that is known of the incident-" Itachi turned off the television, his treacherous hand trembling. He went over to hug Hinata. He was almost tempted to ask of her well-being, but that would be idiotic. Of course she wasn't okay. He wasn't, either.

_LVIII._

The driver that hit Sasuke had the audacity to try and sue Itachi. He must have not known that Itachi was a business man, and now that Itachi learned who was the concrete cause of Sasuke's death, well, revenge would be in order. The man's name was Orochimaru, and the further that Itachi delved into his history, the more Itachi started to hate him. Orochimaru was a drug lord (under the pretence of a scientist), a sick pervert who experimented on humans.

Suddenly, the door bell rang. Itachi wearily stood up, and went to answer. Behind the door, stood a strange man with a pony tail and intelligent eyes.

"Hello." Shikamaru lazily waved a peace sign. His appearance was ragged, more ragged than his usual one if Itachi had to guess. "I was Sasuke's manager. I've researched what has happened, and I'm here to help."

Itachi wasn't one for trust, but something in him instinctively called to accept his help. He would do just fine by himself, but two were better than one, after all. He opened to door wider. "Come, then. How do you suppose that you could help me?"

_LIX._

It was the day of the trial. A red-head sat behind the hammer as a judge: judge Gaara, as Itachi had learned. The accuser stood on the right side (Orochimaru, and his prosecutor, Kabuto), and Itachi, with his lawyer, Shikamaru, stood on the right side.

Gaara banged his hammer. "We are here, today, because Itachi, brother of Uchiha Sasuke has been sued, by Orochimaru. Uchiha Sasuke, deceased, has been accused of crazy, speed driving, which has resulted in this car crash that has costed Orochimaru's right arm. Lawyer, any comments?"

"There is no concrete evidence that what the accuser says is true. Actually, the accuser might not be too trustworthy." The crowd gave a gasp of surprise, while Shikamaru continued his steely drone. "See these pictures, as evidence of Orochimaru's misdeads."

Shikamaru went up and handed Gaara the pictures that showed Orochimaru exchanging drugs. That was when Orochimaru's attorney, Kabuto, spoke up. "I object. These photos have been framed. Mr. Sky does no such things."

"Silence!" Gaara's loud voiced echoed. "Mr. Nara, you may speak."

"If that has all been framed, then this certainly could not be framed. I bring to you Mitarashi Anko, a witness to Mr. Sky's foul misdeeds." Shikamaru gestured a hand for the woman to come up. Itachi observed Orochimaru's mouth curl in distaste.

"This is obviously fraud! Mr. Sky has-" Gaara quickly silenced the out-of-order Kabuto with a glare.

"My brother has suffered from Orochimaru's drug dealings. I swear by court that Orochimaru has abused many laws, and has his own drug dealing business holding cocaine, marijuana, acid, ketamine, GHB, magic mushrooms, heroine, and many more. I too, have suffered from him, being introduced to drugs by no other than him. Luckily, I am clean now, but I demand he go to jail for his evil deeds." It was noted how little Anko respected Orochimaru.

Kabuto started to retort to her accusation, and it went back and forth for a while. Itachi even chipped in, once or twice. Finally, Gaara smashed his hammer with finality. "I have made a decision." He announced. It was the quietest the room had been.

"Sky, Orochimaru, you are proven guilty. Life long sentence."

_LX._

Itachi put down the flowers unto his brother's grave. There was no funeral, for fear that the media would attack and his grave sight would become a tourist attraction. Instead, it was all one big mystery to the public. They didn't even know that he had kids.

Sasuke's grave inscription held one quote that he had chosen, and one quote that Hinata had chosen. _My family is my strength and weakness, _and _My beloved love. _Itachi and Hinata held hands, with Hinata holding Mikoto and Itachi holding Hizashi.

"Here we are, my brother." Itachi let out a dry laugh. "It was never supposed to come to this. You were supposed to get the girl, not me. And I guess I'll tell you what I was supposed to tell you years ago, what I didn't, since you were my treasure, Sasuke, and I didn't want to hurt you."

"Madara is the killer of our parents. He was taken care of by me. But our parents died by his hand. Know this, my brother. I loved you, and adored you. From all the Uchiha, it is only you and Mother that are truly innocent."

"It was my scheme to get you together with the girl. I was never going to marry her, no matter how I wished to. You were supposed to take that role, my brother. And Hinata also has to explain to you what she did not get the chance to."

"S-Sasuke." She began, and then she too, gave off a dry laugh. "I remember d-doing the s-same thing o-on your p-parents' grave. S-stupid, huh?"

"I l-love you. I have n-never stopped l-loving you. Sakura t-told me t-to leave. I d-did not know t-that I was carrying your c-children at t-this stage. I didn't k-know Itachi w-was your b-brother either, S-Sasuke. If I-I had know, I-I would h-have never. I-I would h-have moved f-far, far a-away." Hinata was so sick of crying, but couldn't help the tear that slid down her face. She let go of Itachi's hand, and went and kissed the gravestone. Itachi did likewise.

"Farewell, brother." Itachi said. "I will take good care of our loved ones."

"I l-loved you, Sasuke. W-when I left, I-I thought I l-left f-for the best- i-instead, I left f-for the worst. Goodbye" They walked away in solemn silence, carrying a child each. The loss of Sasuke would always be heavy on their hearts- but, for better or for worse, life went on.

_**End-**_

**Yes, that is the official, very crappy, end. I will come back to Beta one day, but right now, nu uh. I will leave it at that. If you enjoyed the read, read Darth-Taisha's A Fool's Destiny, plllleeeeeease!**

**Review, review, review, **

**Aurora-chan!**


	7. Epilogue

**AN: This story is dedicated to Darth-Taisha. Look. Im sorry (not really) if you dont like the ending. Frankly, though, I wrote this story for me and Darth Taisha. This is my story, and if it has disappointed you, then Im sorry, but you can go ahead and write your own. And no, Guest whoever, its not a tragedy just because a character died and it wasn't the pairing you wanted.  
Im kind of disappointed at some of my readers. Guest 11, I love your reviews, and you'd still be anonymous even with an account. I say no more except, this epilogue is called Throughout the Years.  
**

_Epilogue_

_LXI._

Sakura was eating cereal when she heard the news. The television was on, and as always, Sakura had switched it to the news channel. It was a habit of hers, a way to stay in touch with the world.

After Sasuke had fired her, it was hard doing that. Sasuke had been her life, her goal, and her dream. Every day, her eyes became red and puffy from the tears she shed over him. Oh, how jealous she was of Hinata! How could that girl be able to receive Sasuke's love so easily? How, when Sakura was there, aiding and encouraging him from the very beginning?

"The rock star, Uchiha Sasuke, died in a fatal car crash." those were the words changed Sakura's life forever.

For awhile, she went numb with disbelief. How could this happen? No way could this happen! Sasuke had to be alive! Sasuke was perfect, impeccable... nothing could kill him. The media had to be bluffing, Sakura assured herself. They had to.

And so, Sakura researched all that there was about Sasuke's 'death'. And to be perfectly honest, there wasn't much. The media didn't even know where the supposed 'grave' was. It was all one big mystery. All but Sasuke's files that proved that he had been admitted to Suna hospital, as well as the solid proof that he died.

Something that Sakura still refused to believe. It was all one big trick to get the attention of the media. Sakura had learned all about this when she went through a managing course.

But the more she searched, the more discouraged she got. There was absolutely no evidence of Sasuke's life; there was nothing even about him being a ghost (which was a popular topic once a media star died). Slowly but surely, Sakura started believing. Especially when she saw his dead body in her nightmares.

Maybe, for the first time in her life, he was calling out to her.

_LXII._

Was she really willing to do this?

Sakura stared at the sea waves under her feet. They crashed into the shore in harmonious waves, the soothing rhythm calming her anxious heart. It was a beautiful day; the sea and sky mixing into a blue haze. The sun was an auburn colour, as it went down with a felicitous dignity.

Yes. She was. Sasuke really had meant everything to her; without him, there was no meaning of life, or death. He was someone that she would willingly die for. Without Sasuke, this world really had no place for her. If she thought about it, it never really had a place for her to begin with. She was always Sasuke's shadow, his alone. And this really was the way she wanted to die.

Her only regret in life was not managing to seduce Sasuke. That damn Hinata managed to do it... why couldn't she? But if she started thinking about Hinata now, she would grow angry, and would be unable to rest in peace.

Without hesitation, Sakura took a deep breath closing her eyes, and jumped into the murky waters below. She inhaled freezing icy water that crushed her lungs. Sasuke's name died on her lips. Just like she wanted it to.

_LXIII._

Marriage a fickle thing. Hinata could remember the first time she thought that she would get married: her hair stood on end throughout the 'entire' thing. The whole ceremony was nerve wrecking, the whole concept, promise, frightened you.

After the last attempted one, which turned out to be a disaster, Hinata thought that she'd never find herself in such a situation again. Well, life proved her wrong.

Her and Itachi had decided to get married. This time, Hinata did not agree for herself; she agreed for the children, and for Sasuke's spirit. This was what he would have wanted. He would have encouraged her to move on, since he was no longer there to look after her. He would have wanted his children to have a father, and Itachi was the perfect choice.

Hinata knew that Itachi looked like Sasuke. Her mistake was that she brushed it off as a simple coincidence, a twist of fate. Another one of her punishments for being such a failure. It had crossed her mind, maybe once or twice that the resemblance was uncanny; but she had never once thought that this was Sasuke's brother.

If she had known, she wouldn't be here right now. She would have fled, far, far away. Away from Sasuke, away from any Uchiha except her own children. She had loved Sasuke, she really had; and maybe that was the reason as to why she had left. She was a failure. To all. Wasn't that what her father always said? There was no way she could continue to be with Sasuke: not when he was rising to stardom and she was only dragging him down.

In the deep, dark murky depths of her brain, she was aware of the other reason of why exactly she had left. She had been scared. Frightened of cursing someone she truly loved. After all, wasn't that what happened with her mother? But there was no time to dwell on all of this now.

"Do you, Hinata Hyuuga, accept this man, Uchiha Itachi, as your husband, for better or worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and cherish until death do you apart?"

A sudden nightmare of the door clanging open enveloped her brain. She quickly dismissed the thought, reminding herself that no such thing would happen. Not now. Instead, she took a deep breath, inhaling through her nose. She loved this man. Maybe even as much as she had loved Sasuke. Even though he had lied to her, and broken her trust. "I... do." This time, there were no stutters.

The priest gave them their rings, looking at each of them with a slight doubt in their eyes, as if sensing the heavy atmosphere. "You may... kiss the bride." Itachi gave her a quick, hesitant peck on the lips.

And then it was over. All over.

It had been a very private wedding... just the two of them and the priest. The children were with a baby sitter, leaving them to get on with their business. Hinata hadn't even worn a wedding dress, only a nice black dress that Itachi had given to her, while Itachi himself was in his business suit.

But this type of wedding suited the occasion. It was all about doing the right thing, and... moving on.

_LXIV._

"Hinata, you have to be good for Mama, okay? Mama's going to a better place."

Her mother had just given birth to Hanabi. Hinata could hear her pitiful cries echoing from the room beside them, but they went on ignored as the nurses struggled to calm the child. After all, they were doing their best not to tire out the already exhausted Hyuuga matriarch.

She smiled at Hinata, a sad smile as held Hinata's hand. She got out a bottle, a strange brown bottle filled with various small white pills from the cabinet beside the bed. "Remember to take care of your sister. I won't be able to look after her. Your father won't let me."

Hinata watched, curiously eyeing the small pills in her mother's hand. "Mama, what are those s-sweets in y-your hand? Can I h-have one?" She wasn't really paying attention to anything. She was with her Mama, so all was okay. At times, Hinata bitterly regretted her naivety.

"No!" There was a slight panic in her tone. "This is medicine for adults, to make them feel better. You can have it when you're older, Hinata. Or better yet, never at all. Now, quiet. It's time for me to do this."

Hinata watched, wide-eyed, as her mother took the bottle, and gulped it all time in three large swallows. She then raised a glass of water to her trembling lips, her mouth greedily inhaling the water. But she had grown too weak, and the water fell from her hand and clattered onto the floor. The water spilled, soaking Hinata's feet.

A panic arose in Hinata's chest. She immediately left to search for her father, feeling that something was terribly wrong. It was too bad she didn't pause to look back, and see the expression on her mother's face.

But somehow, Hinata was sure that she died with a smile (a warm and light smile). Hinata's memories of her mother were that of a kind woman that she could trust, at least with the few that she had of her. So, she was certain... but she'd never find out for sure.

She got to her father too late. By the time that she went back to her mother's room, dragging her father, it was too late. Her mother's face was deathly pale, and she was cold. So, very cold. And whatever smile there might have been on her face had been wiped out, taken by the greedy clutches of death.

It was only later that she had learned of her mother's chronic illness, and how the pregnancy with Hanabi nearly killed them both. It was only later that she learned that those white sweets in her hands were actually pain killers, for the torture that she had just gone through. It was only then that she realised that she had fewer memories of her mother, because her father never left her to watch after the children too long, scared for her health. It was only later.

That was the start of Hiashi's tauting. Not that Hinata could blame him. She was weak... she had failed her mother in not reaching her father fast enough. All because of her weak legs. She had cursed her mother (just like she was sure to curse, and had cursed, Sasuke, too).

And she had failed her with her promise of Hanabi, as well. After all, she could not protect Hanabi from the Hyuuga's calculative nature...

_ LXV._

Hanabi was a child of the Hyuuga, through and through. And that was why she was held in such a high esteem, and not allowed much contact with Hinata. The Hyuuga had raised Hanabi, not letting Hinata so much as touch upon Hanabi's daily life.

But it was okay. Hanabi deserved the best. She couldn't even remember her mother... while Hinata had that slight happiness.

They weren't even remotely close. So she was very surprised when it turned out to be Hanabi that had rang the doorbell.

Hinata was carrying Mikoto on her waist, as she lightly played with Hinata's hair. Hizashi was on the baby bouncer chair in the living room, playing by himself. Itachi was at work, as he usually was in the day time.

"Sister?" Hanabi looked at her, her eyes a slight tinge wider than what Hinata supposed that they usually were. Hinata nodded, confirming her statement, but she was still sceptical and baffled at Hanabi's abrupt appearance. "We need to talk."

"That, we do." Hinata agreed, opening the door wider and moving to the side. She felt like she was learning to be more and more like Itachi as the days went by. "Come on in."

Hanabi hesitantly followed her (and Mikoto) into the living room. Hinata gestured her to sit on one of the chairs, in which Hanabi easily complied. Hinata sat on the couch next to her, keeping an eye out for Hizashi. He might have been an exceptionally bright boy (genius), but toddlers were toddlers, after all.

"Yes?" Hinata stated, her eyes flickering to Hanabi's. She had not changed, not at all. Her eyes were still ice cold glaciers, glaring at everything in sight. Her posture was as prim and proper as ever, full of confidence and grace. The favourite. She couldn't compare to Hinata, the embarrassment. Hinata quickly shook the thought out of her head, instead reaching out a hand to pull away Mikoto's hand, that was tugging her hair.

"You've changed." Hanabi quietly stated what was a fact. Hinata nodded, accepting her observation. Yes, she had changed. She had suffered loss, married, and was a mother of twins. It was only normal that she had changed from the stuttering, self-conscious Hyuuga she had once been.

"I concur." Hinata cracked a smile, noting that it was a typical Itachi response. He was rubbing off her a lot more than she thought. Hanabi raised a curious eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Father..." Hanabi took a deep breath, calming herself down. "Father died, two weeks ago. Suffered multiple hear attacks." Hinata's breath was lodged in her throat. It was only Mikoto's insistent tugging that managed to keep her from panicking. She had to stay strong. If not for her children, but for Hanabi, who was obviously miserable.

"Oh. T-thank you for telling me." she cursed the stutter that chose to appear at that moment. She also felt strangely empty and surreal. It was as if the news had not hit her yet, had not sunk in.

But then again, her father was not a big part of her life. He had stopped being so, many years ago; she had not seen him for years. And maybe that's why when it did sink in, she only felt some sadness... and not terribly mournful. Unlike Hanabi, who Hinata could see was struggling to keep herself together. "You're w-welcome." It was Hanabi's turn to curse the stutter that now seemed hereditary.

Hanabi had no real family left... except for her (and Neji, but he was only a cousin). Hinata wasn't really thinking when she said, "This house is surely big enough. You can s-stay with us." But the moment she said it, she knew it was the right choice.

It was time to catch up on what she had left behind. It would be a nice chance to get to know her sister... and maybe, just maybe, fulfil that promise she had made to her mother so long ago.

_LXVI._

"And so, the princess married the prince, and they lived happily ever after..." Hinata murmured to a sleepy Mikoto and a sleeping Hizashi. Itachi stared fondly at his children, who had grown into two very beautiful and polite children, already at the age of five.

"Depends on the perspective." Itachi chimed in, a twinkle in his eyes that had been absent for years. It was Hinata who brought it back. He wrapped his arms around her, and his hand never strayed from her bloated stomach. She was evidently pregnant, with what he hoped to be his child (he would immediately file divorce if otherwise), and due in two months.

"Mummy?" Mikoto asked tiredly, her eyelids drooping. "Do stowies always have happy endings?" She still couldn't pronounce her R's properly, substituting it with a 'W' sound. It was especially cute for a five year old. But Itachi felt a painful pang hit his chest as he thought of her question. He gazed at Hinata, perceiving the pain in her eyes that duplicated his own.

"N-not always, honey..." But Mikoto had already fallen asleep.

_LXVII._

"Do you have a name for him?" The doctor asked, with a pen and notepad, jotting down the information for the birth certificate.

"Sasuke." Hinata and Itachi said in harmony, then turned to each other, surprised. The name had not been discussed. Itachi had claimed it to be 'bad luck', remembering Hinata's last pregnancy, and had avoided the topic, telling her that they would name the baby when it came out. Hinata, although slightly irritated, had agreed.

"Last name?"

"Uchiha." It was Itachi that said this.

"Congratulations! You have a newborn baby born on the 23rd of July, at exact one pm!" The doctor cried out merrily, proceeding to hum a tune to herself. She mostly went ignored however, as both the parents were lost in their own separate thoughts.

And, unknown to each other, both Itachi and Hinata vehemently hoped for this young child (their child) to take after his late uncle. He would never quite replace the old Sasuke... but it could never be said that his name could ever be forgotten, at least in the Uchiha household.

_LXVIII._

Mikoto blearily opened her eyes, before jumping out of bed. It was her sixteenth birthday! A day that she had waited for, for a long, long time! She took her clothes to the bathroom, and got changed (a daily routine of hers). She then headed towards Hizashi's bed, that was on top of hers (they shared a room, sleeping on bunk beds), faced with the arduous challenge of waking him up.

"Hey! Sleepy head! Wake up! You're sixteen already!" Hizashi didn't budge. Mikoto sighed. She didn't want to resort to this, and especially on their birthday, but... desperate times called for desperate measures.

She got back down, fetching a pale of water, before returning to Hizashi's bedside. As she was about to throw the water, a strong hand stopped hers. Hizashi lazily opened his eyes, his other hand going over his mouth to cover a yawn. "I know, already."

"Then... why aren't you excited?" Mikoto frowned.

"I have a bad gut feelings..." Mikoto grimaced at his words. Hizashi tended to be right... in everything. A genius, taking after their father. Mikoto had been told (many times) that he was a leading figure in the business world, creating his own corporation (with the help of others), from scratch. Mikoto differed from him, however.

She was proud of her own talents, though, as she was much like her mother; artistic, and musical (the last was never really proven... but that's what her father said, and he was never wrong, anyway). She was also much like Sasuke.

While she tended to look more into the canvas with her paints, Sasuke was quite the musical genius. He was already at almost professional level with the guitar, and well-acquainted with the piano. His voice was majestic, with an unbelievably long range. And he was only ten. She was a proud sister, that was for sure.

For now though, she would ignore this bad gut feeling of Hizashi's. "Whatever, I'm going downstairs!"

_LXIX._

After they had gotten home from school, they were greeted by both Itachi and Hinata. Hizashi felt even more uneasy. Something was wrong; his father never came home before six, at the very least. And their party was tomorrow, since today was a Friday.

"W-we need t-to talk." Their mother began, edgily flicking her eyes to Itachi. Hizashi flinched. His prediction was already being fulfilled; when their mother stuttered... it meant that she was either highly embarrassed, uncomfortable, or anxious. And from her tone of voice, it meant the last option.

Their father decided to take it from there. "What your mother is trying to say, is that I'm not actually your father." Itachi was as blunt as ever, was Hizashi's first thought, before his mind exploded with pure and utter confusion.

Mikoto reacted faster than he did. But then again, Mikoto was always the louder one. "What do you mean that you're not our father? I know that it's our birthday, but there is no reason to joke around like this!" Mikoto laughed uneasily. They both froze at Itachi's serious expression.

"It's t-true." Hinata piped up, and became a target to two pairs of flabbergasted eyes.

"Who is our father?" Hizashi's tone was calm. Much calmer than his emotions, that were a whirl wind of questions and confusion.

"My brother, Sasuke Uchiha."

"Isn't that our brother?" Mikoto asked, her eyebrows furrowing together.

"He was named after this Sasuke." Hizashi answered, his eyes flickering from Hinata to Itachi. "What happened?" He asked quietly, his hands clasping Mikoto's. They held hands, in what felt like the first time in a long while.

"W-well... it was like t-this..."

_LXX._

The Uchiha were on their annual trip, that happened the exact same day of each year. Only recently, had Itachi and Hinata begun taking their children.

The gravestone "Uchiha, Sasuke." was still visible, and polished. Itachi had hired someone to keep it that way; never to let the memory of his only sibling rot. Never to let the memory of the father of his two eldest' rot.

Hizashi had taken the news better than Mikoto. But after all, Mikoto had always been more emotional. They had many questions, and fears with this new revelation, but together, Itachi and Hinata had managed to dissuade them all. Itachi had repeatedly reassured them that nothing had changed, and that he would always be their father if they wished him to be.

Slowly, the family of five gathered around the object, and began discussing their experiences throughout the year. They all smiled in some point in time, knowing that in their hearts, somewhere, Sasuke was listening to them and smiling along with them.

**A very vague end. I thought it suited this story well. I have finally finished writing this! Took me awhile. All credit goes to, like I said, Darth-Taisha.**  
**Happy 2014, Am.**  
**While the last chapter left you guys emotionally exhausted, I felt this to be the clear ending of this story, slowly showing the beginnings to the ends. I thought it was quite happy myself, actually.**  
**Especially Sakura committing suicide. Grins.**  
**Im a dark person at heart, you might have noticed.**  
**Please review, it would be really appreciated,**  
**Aurora-chan.**


End file.
